BOYHOOD AND BIRDS. 
79 
wafi to propitiate and keep him busy until tlie tliornbushes 
miglit be forgotten. 
I managed to convince myself, before we parted, that I 
had no doubt succeeded ; that it was impossible he would 
ever think of the circumstance again. So anxious was I, 
however, that I rode past the thorn tree a dozen times that 
day, taking care never to stop or turn my head towards it 
again ; but, stealing a quick side-glance which, showed that 
all was right — would pass on. 
The grand discovery was of course revealed to my sister ; 
though, this time, it was with something more of humility 
than had marked the announcements of the ci devant "youth- 
ful Cuvier r 
So eager were we to watch over the nest and make sure 
that it had not been despoiled, that we were off on our usual 
morning ride for the Sulphur Springs before sunrise, and 
stopped a few minutes near the nest to give her an opportu- 
nity to see. There was no danger of the vagabond boys 
being on the watch this early, and we had an undisturbed 
view of that lovely mother with her dark, bright, patient 
eyes, so calmly fixed upon us, and we watched while the 
globules of dew would gather and roll off her sheltering plu- 
mage. She looked so meek, so brave, so faithful to her pre- 
cious charge, that we relented of our cruel purpose, and 
vowed, if we could protect her from the cruel boys, that we 
would place the young ones in a little cage, so that she 
could nurse them herself, and try, through her affection for 
them, to win this splendid pair to come and live on our 
place. Indeed, this was my usual object in endeavoring to 
capture young birds. I had no intention of keeping them 
prisoners longer than was necessarj^ to domesticate them to 
my father's grounds. 
I had often done this, and know it to be quite practicable 
— ^though there was a great risk of losing the pets after all 
my trouble, for they become so confiding as to be constantly 
in danger from the brutalities of men. The temptation, 
