racing along until she thought they were after the jack 
rabbit which had bounded over the sage brush several — 
- moments before. They presently, however, took up again 
their leisurely journey and came nearer. | 
As she was fond of boys and knew how interesting an 
acquaintance with them could be, she pulled her boat in their | 
direction, soon seeing that they were swinging a long stick 
between them. On it were perched three awkward bunches 
of black and white feathers, which the boys said they had 
just found on the sand. They added that the fledgelings 
were young magpies. What queer looking objects they were 
and how they clung to the stick! With the generosity of the 
average American boy, the new acquaintances gave the 
teacher one of the downy creatures, and shut it up for her 
in a basket so as to avoid a bird tragedy in those rushing | 
_ waters. 
| At home her tnnibis began when she found that ‘“Mag’’ 
as the newcomer was quickly named from his own harsh 
squawk, had not yet learned how to eat by himself. At first 
he would not open his beak to be fed, and she had to pry it 
apart until she discovered that a quick movement toward 
him made the parts of his bill yawn far apart, so that food 
could be thrown into the cavity. He did not seem to want 
anything except bugs or angle worms,: although he would 
eat a little raw meat. For a time the young lady was kept | 
go busy digging in the ground, or hunting under boards, that 
she realized how strenuously his parents had worked and 
~ would have been glad to return him to them. He was so 
helpless, however, so full of mischief, his demands were 
made with such noisy confidence, that she was soon willing 
to slave for him, if necessary. 
| One of his ways showed that he was ahis to learn ee 
to fit himself into his new home and yet in some things how. 
_ slow he was to change! When she was new at the work 
of earing for him, she often took the little tuft of feathers 
- that grew on his chin and pulled it gently down so as to 
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