BOYHOOD AND BIRDS. 
77 
bird — I gazed long and eagerly upon her, and now made out 
clearly enough the differences in color and outline which had 
so confused me in the Shrike. She was setting, evidently ; 
but my heart beat loudly with apprehension when I looked 
around me and saw that there were a number of boys in 
sight, who had observed me. Although the nest was most 
ingeniously placed, and accident alone had revealed it to 
me ; yet I feared that it would not escape the search of these 
sharp-eyed ragamufl&ns, if their suspicion should chance to 
have been aroused by my position, which would, of course, 
give them all the clue they needed for a successful search. 
I rode out slowly towards them, discussing with myself, on 
the way, whether it was best to tell them the truth and buy 
them off, or run the risk of removing their suspicions by my 
indifferent air. I concluded that the last was the best course. 
They were standing on the side of the road, awaiting my 
approach, and I determined suddenly upon trying a grand 
stroke of policy, by way of diversion to their lawless enter- 
prise. 
" Boys," said I, stopping my horse among them, "do you 
want to make a shilling apiece this morning?" 
(There were four of them — ^the most incorrigible little row- 
dies in the place.) 
" Yes ! yes ! yes ! What do you want ? What is it ?" 
''Why, I found a squirrel's nest yesterday, out by the 
Sulphur Spring, and the hollow is too small for my hand. 
Now, if you will get a hatchet and go out there with me, and 
one of you climb and cut the hollow for me, I will give you 
a shilling apiece, and two of the young ones if there are 
four." 
The proposition was instantly and eagerly accepted. One 
of the party ran off to his father's house, which was near, for 
a hatchet ; while we moved slowly on. 
I was just chuckling at the success of my ruse, when one 
of the little villians looked up with a mischievous expression 
and asked — 
