THE STREAK OF RED


"Look up there," Tom said; "out near the end of the third branch. See?
The little codger beat him to it."

Looking up, Hervey saw amid the thicker foliage, far removed from the
stately trunk, something hanging from a leaf-covered branch. Even as he
looked at it, it seemed to be swaying as if from a recent jolt. At first
glimpse he thought it was a bat hanging there.

"See it?" Tom said, pointing up. "You can see it by the little streak of
red. I think the little codgers head is poking out. Some scare she had."

Then all in an instant Hervey knew. It seemed incredible that the great
bird, hovering at that dizzy height, could have seen the little
songster of the woods which even he and Tom had failed to see. And the
thought of that smaller bird reaching its home just in time, and poking
its head out of the opening to see if all was well, went to Hervey's
heart and stirred a sudden anger within him.

"I didn't know they could see all that distance," he said.

"Well, that's one thing you've learned that you didn't know before," Tom
said in his matter-of-fact way.

Scarcely had he spoken the words when the foliage above shook and there
was a loud rustling and crackling of branches, while many leaves and
twigs fell to the ground.