ycock,--Sarah,
their maid, helping them.

They were not long in finding the nestling. He was crouching close to
the ground, with one bright little round black eye looking up at
them, and was panting as if his little heart would break.

"We will not hurt you, poor little thing!" cried Fanny, as her brother
stooped down and took him up softly in both hands. The nestling's
breast panted quicker than ever, and every now and then he gave a
flutter, when Charles tried to look at him to see where he was hurt.
At last, when he found how gently he was held, and that all they did
to him was to smooth down the feathers of his back and wings, he began
to be quiet, and to pant less, and gradually to cease making any
fluttering.

"Now then," said Charles, "he is quiet, and we may examine him." So he
slowly began to open his hands, and Fanny began to blow the little
bird's feathers with her mouth close down to him, to blow them on one
side that they might see where he was hurt. But no bruise or scratch
could be found. Presently, however, Charles said, "O, I see what has
happened. The boys in running after him have trod upon his feet, and
bruised them dreadfully. They are all red, and swelled, and crooked,
and I do not believe they can ever get properly well again. His
little claws have been twisted and broken. He will never be able to
hop about any more; and I am sure he can never perch upon a twig. He
will have nothing to hold fast with. What _is_ to become of him?"

Fanny began to cry as she heard all this, and looked at the nestling's
bruised feet, and saw how badly they were injured. "He will die," said
she, "if we let him go: he will never be able to get up to his nest,
nor hop about to find his food; and he will be starved. Do, Charley,
let us take him home with us. If he gets well enough to hop and fly,
we will give him his liberty; and if not, let us take care of him."

Accordingly, home they all went, carrying the bird, gently wrapped up
in a white handkerchief, and held loosely in Fanny's double hands, so
as not to press him. When they arrived they suddenly recollected that
they had no cage for him, and did not know where to put him. Not
knowing what to do, as their papa and mamma happened both to be out,
Charles went into the yard to ask advice. To his great joy, Timothy,
the coachman, told him there was an old wire lantern hanging up in
the stable, which he might have. The old lantern was brought, and some
hay and gr