and the sting of his scratches. He rolled over on his back and
cushioned his head in his hands. The sky seemed to be slipping along
overhead like a broad blue river. The breeze ruffled his hair and
whispered, the bushes murmured and gossiped to each other. Even the
sunlight seemed to hum to him as it laid warm hands on his face.

But there was another sound, which now and then rose above these
murmurs. Then it would fade and be drowned out by the breeze. Hard to
say why, but it just did not seem to fit there. David propped himself
up on his elbows and listened more intently. The sound faded: he had
been imagining it. No, he had not been imagining it--there it was
again. He sat up. Now he noticed that the ledge was divided by a
thicket which grew from the inner side to the outer. The noise,
whatever it was, came from the other side of the thicket.

David's curiosity was aroused, but it occurred to him that it might be
wise to be cautious. The noise did not sound dangerous, but--well, he
had never been up a mountain before, and there was no telling what he
might find. He dropped into a crouch and crept silently up to the
tangle of bushes. His heart began to pound, and he swallowed to
relieve the dryness in his throat. The noise was much more distinct
now, and it sounded like--like--yes, not only sounded like, but
_was_--someone talking to himself.

Who could it possibly be? Well, there was only one way to find out.

He dropped down on his stomach and carefully began to worm his way
under the thicket. The branches grew very low, and the ground was full
of lumps and knobs which dug into him with every movement. There were
vines, too, and some prickly things like thistles, which had to be
pushed out of the way without allowing their leaves to rustle. He
progressed by inches, pushing with his toes, pulling with his finger
tips, wriggling with the rest of his body. At last he could see light
breaking through the foliage in front of him--he was nearing the other
side. A bunch of leaves hung before his face. He hesitated, then
pushed them aside gently, slowly--and peered out.

He thought his heart would stop.

[Illustration]

2: _In Which David Meets the Phoenix, and There Is a Change in Plans_

[Illustration]

There stood an enormous bird.

David had been to the zoo, and at home he had a book of birds with
colored pictures. He knew the more common large birds of the world:
the ostrich, the condor, the albatr