e flushed, thinking that the words had been aimed
at him, and began to get up. But the bird signaled him to remain where
he was.

"I do not mean _you_, my dear fellow. I assure you that I am delighted
to make your acquaintance. It is all the others. Do you know that I
have spent the greater part of my life being pursued? I was chased out
of Egypt like a common game bird. Out of the mountains of Greece, too.
The hills of Lebanon, the desert of Africa, the Arabian wilds--no
matter where I fled, people would come prying and peering and sneaking
after me. I have tried Tibet, China, and the steppes of Siberia--with
the same result. At last I heard of a region where there was peace,
where the inhabitants let each other alone. Here, I thought, I
should--"

"Pardon me for interrupting. Where?"

"Why, _here_, to be brief," said the bird, waving its wing toward the
valley. "Here, I thought, I should be able to breathe. At _my_ age one
likes a little quiet. Would you believe that I am close to five
hundred years old?"

"Golly!" said David. "You don't look it."

The bird gave a pleased laugh. "My splendid physical condition _does_
conceal my years. At any rate, I settled here in the hope of being
left alone. But do you think I was safe?"

David, seeing that he was supposed to answer no, shook his head.

"Quite right," sighed the bird. "I was not. I had been here no more
than three months when a Scientist was hot on my trail. A most
disagreeable fellow, always sneaking about with binoculars, a camera,
and, I fear, a gun. That is why you startled me for an instant. I
thought you were he."

"Oh," David cried, "I'm awfully sorry. I didn't bother you on purpose.
It's just that I never saw a mountain before, so I climbed up here to
see what one looked like."

"You climbed up here?"

"Yes."

"Climbed," said the bird, looking very thoughtful. "Climbed ... I
might have known.... It proves, you see, that the same thing could be
done again by someone older and stronger. A very grave point."

"Oh, I see," said David. "You mean the--"

"Precisely! The Scientist. He is, I fear, very persistent. I first
noticed him over there"--the bird waved its wing toward the opposite
side of the valley--"so I removed to this location. But he will
undoubtedly continue his pursuit. The bad penny always turns up. It
will not be long before the sharp scientific nose is again quivering
in my direction."

"Oh, dear, that's terrible!"

"Your sy