162 
OUR BIRDS IN WINTER. 
will show you that the peculiar crossing of the 
beak is the result of unnatural pressure.’ 
You may judge, my friends, when I heard 
this man so coolly talk of cutting off my head, 
that I felt far from comfortable. I had noticed 
that the upper part of one of the windows of 
the room was open for the sake of ventilation, 
and I inwardly resolved that if a chance of- 
fered, I would make an effort to escape. So 
when this man opened my cage, and offered to 
take me out, I seized his finger between my 
bill, and gave it a bite with all my strength. 
Dropping me in his pain, he forgot to close the 
door of the cage. In one jump I rushed 
through it, flew out of the window, and was 
free. I flew about the country until I met 
Grosbeak, and here I am.” 
His auditors who had been wrapped in at- 
tention, now crowded around him, and the 
congratulations they gave him were of the 
warmest nature. As it was now twilight, they 
all wished the Woodcocks good night, and, tak- 
ing Crossbill with tliem, they repaired to their 
roost in the cedars. 
