. St. Nicholas [serial]. esently she flew off,and, alighting on a near-by .tree, sat shakingand preening her plumage. I was dressed for the occasion. I had ona white sweater, a pair of corduroy knicker-bockers, and two pairs of thick woolen stock-546 MY FIRST HAWKS NEST. 547 ings. The latter precaution will be appreciatedby every boy who has scratched his legs shin-ning up a rough tree. Stuffing the ball of twine into my hip pocket,I was ready for the ascent. My brother good-naturedly stooped down, close to the trunk,and allowed me to mount on his shoulders,and then, straightening to his full
. St. Nicholas [serial]. esently she flew off,and, alighting on a near-by .tree, sat shakingand preening her plumage. I was dressed for the occasion. I had ona white sweater, a pair of corduroy knicker-bockers, and two pairs of thick woolen stock-546 MY FIRST HAWKS NEST. 547 ings. The latter precaution will be appreciatedby every boy who has scratched his legs shin-ning up a rough tree. Stuffing the ball of twine into my hip pocket,I was ready for the ascent. My brother good-naturedly stooped down, close to the trunk,and allowed me to mount on his shoulders,and then, straightening to his full height, helifted me up nearly six feet. I told him he the angry hawks swept past within an inch ofmy head. It was lucky for me that I did hold tight, for had I lost my grip on thetree in the excitement of the moment, therewas nothing to save me. Twice again, beforeI reached the nest, the bird swooped downunpleasantly close to my face. By the time I reached the first branch I wassomewhat out of breath, so I sat down for a. THE HAWK S NEST AND EGGS. (FROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN BY THE AUTHOR.) was very good as far as he went, and I onlywished that he went a little farther. Therewas now a straight shin of about fifty feet,and I went to work. Gripping the bark withmy hands, knees, and toes, I gradually hoistedmyself up, a foot at a time. I had goneabout forty feet when my brother suddenlyshouted hold tight, and the next instantthere was a rush of air on my face, as one of minute or two. In the meantime my brothermade ready to take one picture from theground. I now stood up, and seizing one ofthe branches above, lifted myself into the I found two bright-eyed little hawks,covered with soft white down, and two largewhite eggs, scantily speckled with reddish-brown. The old hawks were sailing in circlesfar up against the blue, uttering their cry of 548 kee-you, kee-you. I sat down beside the nest,and taking up one of the eggs, held it aloft inmy hand. As I did so my brother took
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Keywords: ., bookauthordodgemar, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookyear1873
