240 TEXAS AND ARIZONA 



Suddenly the Terdin began sputtering to himself, 

 after his manner, a little way off. Quick as 

 thought the hummer cocked his head, waited an 

 instant as if to make sure he had heard correctly 

 (it seemed impossible, I suppose, after such a 

 drubbing), and then, like a bullet out of a gun, 

 flew at the persistent intruder. His spirit was 

 wonderful, and being roused to his work, he fin- 

 ished by descending at full speed upon a black 

 phcebe that just then blundered innocently along. 

 The big flycatcher, many times bigger than the 

 hummer, — but so is a man many times bigger 

 than a rifle ball, — did not stand upon the order 

 of his going, but went at once. I did not wonder. 

 The f eUow might have driven me away, also, had 

 he taken it into his head to try. He was irre- 

 sistible. Talk of a strenuous life ! 



At another time he darted from his perch in 

 a quite unwonted direction, and flew on the line 

 to a palo-verde shrub off on the hiUside. The 

 verdin was there, it turned out, down at the very 

 bottom of the bush, — though to my senses he 

 had made no sign, — and must be dislodged forth- 

 with. 



Why the hummer offered no objection to 

 the kinglet's presence is beyond my knowledge. 

 Perhaps he took into account the fact that the 

 kinglet was here only for the winter ; for it was 



