before I retired into the last half.

"Too hungry--had to be fed before they got to eating at your heart,"
answered Pan in a way that made me know that he meant me and not the
dandelion greens and brown bread.

"You are joking me; they are not due until day after to-morrow," I said as
I took my lips away and began to hurry us both towards the barn.

"All April hatches are from two to three days early," was Adam's prosaic
and instructive answer that cut the last kiss short as we entered the
barn-door.

CHAPTER VIII

Quickly I released myself from his arm and flew to kneel in front of the
metal mother, with the electric torch aimed directly into the little window
that revealed all her inmost processes. The Peckerwood Pan hovered just at
my shoulder, and together we beheld what was to me the most wonderful
phenomenon of nature that had ever come my way. No sunset from Pike's Peak
or high note from the throat of Caruso could equal it in my estimation.
Behold, the first baby Bird stepped forth into the world right before my
astonished and enraptured eyes! It was in this manner.

"Look, right here next to the glass," said Adam, as he put his finger
against the lower left-hand corner of the peep window, and there I directed
my torch. One of the great white pearls had a series of little holes around
one end of it, and while I gazed a sharp little beak was thrust suddenly
from within it. The shell fell apart, and out stepped the first small
Leghorn Bird with an assurance that had an undoubted resemblance to that of
his masculine parent. For a moment he blinked and balanced; then he
stretched his small wings and shook himself, an operation that seemed to
fluff about fifty per cent. of the moist aspect from his plump little body,
and then he deliberately turned and looked into my wide-opened eyes. I
promptly gasped and sat down on the barn floor, with my head weakly cuddled
against Adam's knee.

"Two more here on the right-hand side, Woman," said Adam, as he knelt
beside me, took the torch, supported me in my reaction of astonishment, and
showed me where a perfect little batch of babies was being born. "Whew,
Farmer Craddock, but those are fine chickens! Heaven help us, but they are
all exploding at one time! Only eggs of one hundred per cent. vigor and
fertility hatch that way. Look at the moisture gathering on the glass. If
you put your hand in there you would find it about a hundred and ten."

"Oh, look! G. Bir