The Flagstaff sun-democrat., 1897-04-08
BATTLE IN A TREE.
How Bold Robin Redbreast Van.
 quished His Enemy.
tCopyright. lS97.l

Copyright. 1S97l
 They were very devoted couple just at this time, though l have reason to believe that at other seasons of the year they nagged at one another good bit, like other husbands and wives. He 'was handsome fellow, and as for her she was as fond and afYectionate as lovesick little robin redbreast can Ire. They had built and furnished their house in the topmost branches of the cnly tree in our street, close to my etudy window--a poplar-and enjoyed n splendid view of their honeymooning, and of his kindnesses and courtesy to her-behavior which made me smile ans coming from him. because it was so very unlike him as he was for Il months or so of the year. We'll, they built what appeared to be satisfac- tory home from their own point of view, and chirped and congratulated one another endlessly over the accom- piishment. Soon after it was finished she laid all egg therein, and presently another; then third and a fourth, and | think a fifth.
 Then there came time of compara- tive quiet; there was less chirping and sdle conversation. She sat and dozed on her eggs as he did much the same upon the garden paling, or on an adja- ccnt branch os the poplar, or anywhere that came, looking deeply dejected. De- casionally when she left the house in order to get a bit of dinner or break fast, he would go aud sit on the edge of the nest, and sometimes hopped in and fussed around, and kept poking the eggs with his beak, turning them over and over and gloating over them in Q way which displeased the missus, seem- ingiy.
 At last the eggs matched and busy time began; time of innumerable ex- seditions on the part of both parents. foraging expeditions to every point of ahe compass; time of funny noises from tiny, unseen personalities among the straws which formed their home; . bad time for the worms and such like game, for the youngsters were vora- cious and unsuitable and kept their parents on the move all day and every day.
 About a week after the matching of the eggs, Thomas, the cat from No. IS. down this row, began to take m in- 4crcst in the family. He had. appar- cntiy, made his calculations as to the matching of those eggs, having watched the parent birds at their honeymoon ing, and, probably. taken note of the date of the laying. When the young sters were week or so old, Thomas gave up all his other engagements in order to come and lie in my garden and gaze up into the poplar tree, and blink. Kicking his lips at intervals. During tkis time nothing could seducc Thomas from this fascinating occupation. His friends would come over the wall and speak to him, and try to wean him from the contemplation of the robins Snest, but he took no notice of them, he hadn't time; his calculations were too aabsorbing. It was so difficult, you see. to decide as to the exact age at which a young robin has attained his high water mark of succulency.
 So Thomas friends would come and shake their heads over him and go and talk to their other acquaintances about the deplorable falling away of dear Thomas and the hope they entertained that he might still recover his lost ground when he should have got over tthat unfortunate craze of his. Some of the community laughed consumedly