oiled the old orchard for me, and never again did I enter its
gates.

Down the wild rose path I took my way the next morning. Silently and
quickly I gained my seat of yesterday, hoping to surprise the chat
family. No doubt my hope was vain; noiseless, indeed, and deft of
movement must be the human being who could come upon this alert bird
unawares. He greeted me with a new note, a single clear call, like "ho!"
Then he proceeded to study me, coming cautiously nearer and nearer, as I
could see out of the corner of my eye, while pretending to be closely
occupied with my notebook. His loud notes had ceased, but it is not in
chat nature to be utterly silent; many low sounds dropped from his beak
as he approached. Sometimes it was a squawk, a gentle imitation of that
which rang through the air from the mouth of his spouse; again it was a
hoarse sort of mewing, followed by various indescribable sounds in the
same undertone; and then he would suddenly take himself in hand, and be
perfectly silent for half a minute.

After a little, madam took up the matter, uttering her angry squawk, and
breaking upon my silence almost like a pistol shot. At once I forgot her
mate, and though he retired to a little distance and resumed his
brilliant musical performance, I did not turn my head at his
beguilements. She was the business partner of the firm whose movements I
wished to follow. She must, sooner or later, go to her nest, while he
might deceive me for days. Indeed, I strongly suspected him of that very
thing, and whenever he became bolder in approaching, or louder and more
vociferous of tongue, I was convinced that it was to cover her
operations. I redoubled my vigilance in watching for her, keeping my
eyes open for any slight stirring of a twig, tremble of a leaf, or quick
shadow near the ground that should point her out as she skulked to her
nest. I had already observed that whenever she uttered her squawks he
instantly burst into energetic shouts and calls. I believed it a
concerted action, with the intent of drawing my attention from her
movements.

On this day the disturbed little mother herself interviewed me. First
she came silently under the green canopy, in plain sight, stood a moment
before me, jerking up her beautiful long tail and letting it drop slowly
back, and posing her mobile body in different positions; then suddenly
flying close past me, she alighted on one side, and stared at me for
half a dozen seconds. Then, ev