f crows, Harry, that they certainly punish
thieves among themselves," observed Major Graham. "In a large rookery,
some outcasts are frequently to be observed living apart from the rest,
and not allowed to associate with their more respectable brethren. I
remember hearing formerly, that in the great rookery at --------, when
all the other birds were absent, one solitary crow was observed to
linger behind, stealing materials for his nest from those around, but
next morning a prodigious uproar was heard among the trees,--the cawing
became so vociferous, that evidently several great orators were
agitating the crowd, till suddenly the enraged crows flew in a body upon
the nest of their dishonest associate, and tore it in pieces."

"Bravo!" cried Frank. "I do like to hear about all the odd ways of birds
and animals! Grandmama mentioned lately, that, if you catch a crow, and
fasten him down with his back to the ground, he makes such an outcry,
that all his black brothers come wheeling about the place, till one of
them at last alights to help him. Immediately the treacherous prisoner
grapples hold of his obliging friend, and never afterwards lets him
escape; so, by fastening down one after another, we might entrap the
whole rookery."

"I shall try it some day!" exclaimed Harry, eagerly. "What fun to hear
them all croaking and cawing!"

"We shall be croaking ourselves soon with colds, if we do not hurry
home," added uncle David. "There is not a thimbleful of light remaining,
and your grandmama will be impatient to hear all the news. This has
really been a most adventurous night, and I am sure none of us will soon
forget it."

When the whole party entered the drawing-room, in a blaze of spirits,
all speaking at once, to tell Lady Harriet what had occurred, Mrs.
Crabtree, who was waiting to take a couple of little prisoners off to
bed, suddenly gave an exclamation of astonishment and dismay when she
looked at Harry, who now, for the first time since the robber had
knocked him down, approached the light, when he did, to be sure, appear
a most terrible spectacle! His jacket was bespattered with mud, his
shirt-frill torn and bloody, one eye almost swelled out of his head, and
the side of his face quite black and blue.

"What mischief have you been in now, Mr. Harry?" cried Mrs. Crabtree,
angrily; "you will not leave a whole bone in your body, nor a whole
shirt in your drawer!"

"These are honourable scars, Mrs. Crabtree," inte