88 
THE STRANGELAND BIRD LIFE 
feeling very nervous, “I was just thinking of 
something I saw up on the hill this morning.” 
“And what was that?” asked the police¬ 
man resting his club on his knee. 
“It wasn’t much of anything,” said Mannie 
modestly, “ I just saw a robber’s den with some 
bones of little Penguin folks in it, and a great 
many eggshells, and by and by the robber, old 
Sheathbill came along and chased me. I 
slipped and came sliding down here, that’s all.” 
“What’s that?” asked the policeman’s son, 
who was standing near him. “What’s that, you 
saw a robber’s den and the robber chased you?” 
“What’s that?” demanded a short chubby 
little Adelie Penguin before Mannie had had 
time to reply. “You saw a robber’s den and 
the robber, old Sheathbill, chased you?” 
“What’s that?” called a short boy, in knee 
pants, the Adelie Penguin’s son, “you saw a 
robber and he chased you?” 
So many of them asking him questions all 
at once confused Mannie so very much that he 
