visitors!"
said Emma. "We must beg Mr Shafto to allow no gun to be fired near our
village, lest it should frighten them away."

"I am afraid that if there is a scarcity of food it will be very
difficult to persuade the people not to do so," observed Fanny.

"But with so many seals and other large birds in the neighbourhood, I
trust we may never be reduced to such an extremity," answered her
sister.

While they were speaking, a large flock of birds came flying rapidly
towards them. Some darted through the open window, others made their
way over their heads through the door into the cottage, and others flew
round them, evidently in great terror. On looking out, they observed
the cause of the birds' alarm. Hovering in the air was a large hawk,
about to pounce down upon the little songsters. They called to Captain
Twopenny, who was approaching his cottage. He ran in for his gun, and
in another instant the savage pirate fell to the ground. Instead of
flying away at the report, the little birds seemed to comprehend the
service which had been rendered them, and kept flying round and round
the cottages, or settling on the roofs, as if perfectly satisfied that
no harm was intended them. Harry, who soon afterwards appeared,
promised to warn the people against injuring the little birds; and after
this they made themselves perfectly at home among their visitors, flying
fearlessly in and out of the cottages, no one attempting to interfere
with them. They were, indeed, frequently seen settling on the hands of
the children, who soon learned to make pets of the confiding little
creatures. On several occasions after this large flocks pursued by
hawks came for shelter among their friends, when the birds of prey
seldom escaped the captain's gun. Among their feathered friends was a
pretty little green bird, which sung very sweetly; another was exactly
like the English blackbird; and a third, with a red breast, came hopping
up with the familiarity of the winter visitor of old England, the dear
little Robin. One of the latter perched with perfect confidence on
Emma's hand, and seemed in no way disposed to fly away. After looking
up pertly in her face, it hopped off to the trellis work of the porch,
where it perched, apparently determined to take up its abode beneath
their sheltering roof. In a short time several others followed its
example; indeed, the porch looked like an aviary, except that the birds,
instead of being con