ould be queer if you and I couldn't slip quietly on board some
North-bound vessel, as we've often planned to do. Speak up! Will you
come?'

And Alick breathlessly waited for Ned's long-of-coming answer.

CHAPTER XV

THE BIRD-SCHOOL

Meantime, while all Northbourne, in its genuine affection for Miss
Theedory, hung expectantly on the issues of life or death--for who
could say which it might be?--Jerry Blunt was quietly making his
preparations for pursuing his new calling of bird-trainer.

Although he had said nothing about it, one of the new pupils had been
specially set apart to be given to Theo, if it pleased God to spare her
young life. Theo, gentle and sweet-spoken to all, had won the
reverence and loyal regard of the disabled sailor, when he returned
home a cripple, by her friendly welcome to him.

Jerry Blunt was not one to forget a kind word. He had not come across
so many, in his up-and-down life, that they had become cheapened.

It was not, however, until the young finches were about two months old,
and showed symptoms of whistling powers, that Jerry could really begin
the labour of educating them in real earnest. His first step was to
systematically separate his pupils into small classes, so to say, or
groups of birds, lodging them in wicker cages. The next proceeding was
to shut them up in a darkened room and keep them without food for a
given time.

The skilful teacher then began the singing-lessons by slowly playing
over and over the special tune he had selected--'The Blue Bells of
Scotland'--for the finches to learn. He performed the melody upon a
small instrument given him by Pierre Lacroix, his comrade on the
expedition, the notes of which were curiously like the birds' own.
Jerry truly had marvellous need of patience. But he knew--none
better--that it is only by slow means that perfect trust is gained.
His pupils sat for a considerable time sulking, perhaps with deeply
injured feelings, being dinnerless; and they were, doubtless,
bewildered by the darkness of the room. They were not deceived into
thinking that the night had fallen, not they! As a proof, they made no
attempt to sleep. They simply sat puzzling out, with suspicion, the
mystery that surrounded them.

By and by, some sharper, brighter wit among his fellows began to listen
to the music, so curiously familiar, with his tiny head on one side;
and he was won over! Presently he tried, timidly and cautiously, to
pipe a