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expect. One day I heard them whistHng in 

 the eggs; the next day, when I came, there 

 was nothing to be seen on the nest-bog. I T^ukweem 

 feared that something had heard their whis- jt^-''^^^^^ 

 tling and put an untimely end to the young <^ 



Hukweems while mother bird was away. But 

 when she came back, after a more fearful 

 survey than usual of the old bark canoe, two 

 downy little fellows came bobbing to meet 

 her out of the grass, where she had hidden 

 them and told them to stay till she came back. 

 Like all wild birds, she had carried the egg- 

 shells far away, or swallowed them, lest their 

 conspicuous whiteness guide some fierce, 

 thieving eye to her household. 



It was a rare treat to watch them at their 

 first feeding, the little ones all eagerness, 

 bobbing about in the delight of eating and 

 the wonder of the new great world, the 

 mother all tenderness and watchfulness. 

 Hukweem had never looked to me so noble 

 before. This great wild mother bird, moving 

 ceaselessly with marvelous grace about her 

 little ones, watching their play with exquisite 

 fondness, and watching the great dangerous 



