as upon the
roofs. Their colours were mixed, and their leaders were lost.

Silly Peter ran joyfully about the streets waving a little white flag at
the disorganized flying tribes, waving a white flag as though it were a
truce to the sky.

For some reason or other, an extra large number of birds took refuge on
the gable and chimney of the Captain's stone house on the hill.

Late in the afternoon, as the charming Vera was playing at the piano, a
dark shadow crept over her page of music, and this was accompanied by a
scrambling noise from outside. As she turned about, she could see
through the corner of her eye a struggling figure across the window,
clambering on the vines. The body was silhouetted against the sky.

One glance was sufficient--her throat let loose a piercing scream as she
ran from the room into the kitchen. "A man! A man is climbing up the
house--quick, send for the police!" she shouted breathlessly to the
servants.

Holding her throbbing temples with both hands, she waited with the
servants in the kitchen. Soon two policemen arrived, having been told
that a robber had entered the house, but they found nothing excepting
Silly Peter on top of the roof, propped against the chimney, waving his
flag and signalling to his birds.

"He's harmless," said the officer. "I can't make him come down, madam.
I'm a policeman, not a fireman." And with this they went away, leaving
Vera with her servants and Peter with his pigeons.

Presently the Captain came home, raved and shouted as he swung his
arms--but Peter sat with his back against the chimney, making bubbles
with his mouth and holding two new-born birds close to his face in order
that they might prick the bubbles with their little soft beaks and
drink.

"Come down from my house, you beggar!" But this did not even frighten
the birds that flocked about Silly Peter in ever increasing numbers.

At length he came into the house, and took a rifle from his case. "Just
wait till it grows dark," he mumbled. But the lovely Vera jumped from
her chair and, with tears in her eyes, cried: "No! No! God will see you.
He will never forgive us. After all, what harm does the boy do? He did
not intend to frighten me, I am sure, put it away, my dear--God will
never forgive us if you don't."

Who could resist a pleading tear from lovely Vera? Surely not the
Captain.

"You are right, my dear. He can do us no harm," he finally allowed.

At night there was a noise and commot