`Now, let's shut the door. Pull the cord and close the panel!' shouted
the boys, making a rush at the string.
`Stop!' cried I. `Let the string alone! I won't have you frighten the
little darlings. Besides, the others will be coming--would you shut the
door in their faces?'
`Here they come! Here they come!' exclaimed Fritz, whose keen eye
marked the birds afar, and to our delight the second blue pigeon
arrived, likewise with a mate, whom, after a pretty little flirtation
scene of real and assumed modesty on her part, he succeeded in leading
home.
The third and handsomest of the new pigeons was the last in making his
appearance. Perhaps he had greater difficulty than the others in
finding a mate as distinguished in rank and beauty as himself. However,
we fully expected them, and the boys talked of the arrival of `Mr. and
Mrs. Nicobar' as a matter of course.
Late in the day Franz and his mother went out to provide for supper,
but the child returned directly, exclaiming that we must hasten to the
dove-cot to see something beautiful.
Accordingly a general rush was made out of the cave, and we saw with
delight that the third stranger also had returned with a lovely bride,
and encouraged by the presence of the first arrivals, they soon made
themselves at home.
Pages:
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313