er to get results with as little waste of time as possible.

"Fred, you take the ladder, and place it under this picture," she went
on to say; "he always comes back there after each little flight. Then,
with the broom I will shoo him off that curtain pole. He does get so
excited, and goes on at such a terrible rate. Why, I sometimes seem to
suspect that some of those strange words he uses may be what that
Portuguese sailor, from whom I purchased him while over in England,
taught him."

And indeed, once she started the bird flying wildly about, Black Joe
did shriek out all manner of phrases, some of which Fred could
understand, while others he was able to make nothing out of.

Fred knew the part he was expected to take in capturing the rebellious
raven. He crouched there on the step-ladder, waiting for his chance.
Trust a lively, wide-awake boy for being able to outwit any raven that
ever lived. Black Joe may have believed himself smart, but he could not
match wits with an up-to-date lad.

Fluttering his feathers indignantly, and still giving vent to a volume
of angry cries, the raven presently, just as his mistress had said
would be the case, settled on the top of the big picture frame.

Instantly a hand shot upward, and there was a squawk that seemed to be
choked off, as Fred's fingers closed around the body and neck of wily
Black Joe.

"Oh! please don't hurt him any, Fred!" cried the lady, dropping the
broom, and hurrying over to take the bird from Fred's hands.

Indeed, the boy was not sorry to get rid of the savage creature, which
was trying its best to give him vicious pecks, and struggling with
wings and claws to break away.

Once in the possession of Miss Muster, however, it seemed to become
very meek. She stroked it, murmuring endearing words, and proceeded to
fasten a nickeled chain about one of it's legs, so that it could not
fly away from the perch over in the corner by one of the windows, that
were covered with wire mosquito netting.

"That was very cleverly done, Fred," remarked Miss Muster, in a tone
that rather caused the boy to alter the opinion he had formed
concerning her. "Poor old Jake is so clumsy he makes half a dozen
attempts before he is able to catch the speedy bird. Once he upset the
step-ladder, and sprawled all over the floor. And upon my word, I have
always believed that sad wretch there laughed at him. It sounded like
it, at any rate."

She was beginning to thaw out, and Fred fo