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looking very much surprised. " I thought 

 you were away ; why, I thought you were 

 ^///oo/eef, away," he seenied to be saying. Then he 

 /^Uzffk clucked, and the tunk-a-tunk ceased instantly. 

 V6ice Another cluck, and Mrs. Killooleet appeared, 

 looking frightened ; then, one after another, 

 the five little Killooleets bobbed up; and 

 there they sat in a solemn row on the edge 

 of the cracker box, turning their heads side- 

 wise to see me better. 



"There!" said Killooleet, "didn't I tell 

 you he would n't hurt you .? " And like five 

 winks the five little Killooleets were back in 

 the box, and the tunk-a-tunking began again. 

 This assurance that they might do as they 

 pleased, and help themselves undisturbed to 

 whatever they found, seemed to remove the 

 last doubt from the mind of even the little 

 gray mate. After that they stayed, most of 

 the time, close about my tent, and were never 

 so far away, or so busy insect hunting, that 

 they would not come when I whistled and 

 scattered crumbs. The little Killooleets 

 grew amazingly, and no wonder ! They 

 were always eating, always hungry. I took 



