Did you ever see
such a rum one in your life?"

For at that minute, after turning its head on one side for a good look,
and then on the other, so as to inspect, them again, the bird seemed to
have an idea that it might gain a little more knowledge from a fresh
point of view, and to effect this turned itself completely upside down,
hanging by its soft yoke toes, and playing what Jem called a game of
_peep-to_!

This lasted for some minutes, and then the bird squatted upon the bough
in a normal position, set up its feathers all over, and began to
chatter.

"Hark at him, Mas' Don. He's calling names. There, hit me if he
didn't. Did you hear him?"

"I heard him chatter."

"Yes; but I mean calling us that `My pakeha--my pakeha!' that he did."

"Nonsense!"

"Ah, you may say nonsense, but parrots and cockatoos is werry strange
birds. Wonderful what they knows and what they says."

"I don't believe they know what they say, Jem."

"Ah! That's because you're so young, Mas' Don. You'll know better some
day. Parrots is as cunning as cunning. Well, now, did you ever see the
likes of that? He's laughing and jeering at us."

For at that moment the bird began to bob its head up and down rapidly,
gradually growing more excited, and chattering all the while, as it
ended by dancing first on one leg and then on the other, in the most
eccentric fashion.

"I should like to have that bird, Jem," said Don at last.

"Should you? Then you wouldn't have me along with you."

"I don't like him. I like a bird as can behave itself and whistle and
sing and perch; but I don't like one as goes through all them monkey
tricks. Wish I'd got a stone, I'd try and knock him off his perch."

_Chur-r-r-r_! Shrieked the bird, and it let itself fall over backwards,
dropping down head over heels like a tumbler pigeon, or an unfortunate
which had been shot, and disappearing among the leaves far below.

"There!" cried Jem, triumphantly; "now, what do you say to that? Heard
what I said, he did, and thought I was going to throw."

"Nonsense, Jem!"

"Ah! You may call it nonsense, Mas' Don, because you don't know better,
but you didn't see him fall."

"Yes, I saw him fall, and--hist! Creep back; there's some one coming!"

The secret of the bird's sudden disappearance was explained for there
was a rustling among the ferns far behind, as if some large body was
forcing its way along the ravine; and as Jem backed slowly into the
ca