86 ' PEARLS AND PEBBLES. 



eyes twinkling as if with the very spirit of fun and 

 mischief. 



If the " whiskey jacks " did not enjoy their play, my 

 little boy did. He laughed and clapped his hands with 

 glee as he stood on a chair by the window and watched 

 their pranks. 



Whether our visitors preferred the abundant and 

 varied fare they were accustomed to receive daily at the 

 hospitable table at Auburn, or whether they were only 

 on a visit, is a question we never solved, but they 

 certainly disappeared early the following morning and 

 returned to us no more. 



Possibly our cat Nora had kept too watchful an eye 

 on their movements, or the great dog Nero had alarmed 

 them, or it may be they preferred their favorite perch 

 on the old oak tree by the river. 



The fur trappers of the North- West regard these jays 

 as a great nuisance, as when pressed by hunger they 

 damage the furs that are suspended in their tents or 

 wigwams, as well as devour the jerked meat hung up 

 to dry. 



So bold are these feathered plunderers that it is in 

 vain the men hurl all sorts of missiles at them; if 

 driven off for one minute, back they come the next and 

 pouncs upon the meat as audaciously as ever. 



" Nor is their flesh worth eating ; it is mean stuff, and 

 not worth powder and shot,'' said my informant, who 

 evidently held the game in no small contempt. 



