18 HOMING WITH THE BIRDS 



she measured out a white powder for me, she 

 smiled and said: "What a httle bird woman you 

 are!" 



In two weeks, the hawk was as well as he ever 

 could be. By that time he would take food from 

 my fingers and allow me to do anything I chose 

 for him. Inside of a month he followed me through 

 the dooryard, woodyard, and garden much like a 

 dog, although he was a very awkward walker, prob- 

 ably having had less use for his feet in walking than 

 in carrying and holding prey. There were times 

 when birds of his kind, often his mate without 

 doubt, swept low above us. Then he would 

 beat his wings and try frantically to fly. Some- 

 times he followed them with his despairing eyes 

 as they sailed from sight, and sent after them 

 a scream that never failed to set my heart aching. 

 At such times I could scarcely forgive my father 

 for having deprived such a royal bird of his high 

 estate. Although he never said so, I believe 

 from after events that my father had the same 

 feeling. 



By this time I had become known in the family 

 as the unfailing friend of the birds. Every un- 

 fortunate bird caught in a reaper, wounded by 

 having been stepped on by stock, or that had 

 escaped from the attack of a cat, a red squirrel, 

 or a snake, was brought to me for treatment. No 

 one told me how to care for them. I was so inti- 

 mate with each different kind that when a member 



