44 



FOUR-HANDED FOLK. 



Never was a living creature more alert than 

 this small brute. So acute was his hearing that 

 it was absolutely impossible to surprise him. No 

 matter how quietly and apparently off his guard 

 he sat on a chair, one could not jerk or tip that 

 piece of furniture so quickly as to take him un- 

 awares ; at the first sign of movement he appeared 

 on the other side of the room, one could hardly 

 tell how. I wanted much to see him when he 

 did not see me, and to that end several times 

 stole into the room from the front. The back of 

 the cage was toward that side, and he could not 

 possibly see me. I took off my shoes, and moved 

 without the slightest sound over the carpet ; but 

 when I reached the point where I could see the 

 open front of his cage, there he was, waiting, 

 looking for me, his bright yellow eye pressed 

 eagerly against the wires, in the corner nearest 

 the side I came to. The instant he saw me he 

 uttered a mocking grunt, which plainly said, 

 " Thought you 'd surprise me, eh ? " and began a 

 violent weaving and coaxing to get out. 



Perhaps he was thus wide awake because he 

 seemed really to fear being alone, and to dread 

 the dark. The moment he was left in the room 

 the spirit of mischief departed, and he retreated 

 to the top of his cage, where he stayed till some 

 one came in. The dusk, with its shadows, always 

 alarmed him, and, when taken into a strange 



