eel
it so much, if you'd stay to cheer me up a little an' post me on the
weather. Hate the doggondest to own I'm worsted, an' if you say it's
stay, b'lieve I'll try it. Very sight o' you kinder warms the cockles
o' my heart all up, an' every skip you take sets me a-wantin' to be
jumpin', too.

"What on earth are you lookin' for? Man! I b'lieve it's grub!
Somebody's been feedin' you! An' you want me to keep it up? Well, you
struck it all right, Mr. Redbird. Feed you? You bet I will! You
needn't even 'rastle for grubs if you don't want to. Like as not
you're feelin' hungry right now, pickin' bein' so slim these airly
days. Land's sake! I hope you don't feel you've come too soon. I'll
fetch you everything on the place it's likely a redbird ever teched,
airly in the mornin' if you'll say you'll stay an' wave your torch
'long my river bank this summer. I haven't a scrap about me now. Yes,
I have, too! Here's a handful o' corn I was takin' to the banty
rooster; but shucks! he's fat as a young shoat now. Corn's a leetle
big an' hard for you. Mebby I can split it up a mite."

Abram took out his jack-knife, and dotting a row of grains along the
top rail, he split and shaved them down as fine as possible; and as he
reached one end of the rail, the Cardinal, with a spasmodic "Chip!"
dashed down and snatched a particle from the other, and flashed back to
the bush, tested, approved, and chipped his thanks.

"Pshaw now!" said Abram, staring wide-eyed. "Doesn't that beat you?
So you really are a pet? Best kind of a pet in the whole world, too!
Makin' everybody, at sees you happy, an' havin' some chance to be happy
yourself. An' I look like your friend? Well! Well! I'm monstrous
willin' to adopt you if you'll take me; an', as for feedin', from
to-morrow on I'll find time to set your little table 'long this same
rail every day. I s'pose Maria 'ull say 'at I'm gone plumb crazy; but,
for that matter, if I ever get her down to see you jest once, the
trick's done with her, too, for you're the prettiest thing God ever
made in the shape of a bird, 'at I ever saw. Look at that topknot a
wavin' in the wind! Maybe praise to the face is open disgrace; but
I'll take your share an' mine, too, an' tell you right here an' now 'at
you're the blamedest prettiest thing 'at I ever saw.

"But Lord! You ortn't be so careless! Don't you know you ain't
nothin' but jest a target? Why don't you keep out o' sight a little?
You