ht made the first move. He had cunningly brought some salt
in his pocket. With the casual remark that he wasn't going to put it
on her tail, he offered a handful to the non-committal Susan. The
ungainly creature blew most of it away with a windy snort, then
changed her mind and greedily licked up the few remaining grains.
Deciding that Jimmy was an agreeable person with advantages, she
allowed him to slip the halter on her neck and lead her unprotesting
over the bridge.

Then Black Angus made overtures to Ebenezer, who carried the little
raccoon on his back. Ebenezer received them with a mixture of dignity
and doubt, but refused to stir an inch from the Boy's side. Black
Angus scratched his head in perplexity.

"'Tain't no use tryn' to lead him, I reckon!" he muttered.

"No, you'll have to carry him in your arms, Mr. MacAllister," laughed
the Boy. "Good thing he ain't very big yet. But here, take
Ananias-and-Sapphira first. If _she'll_ be friends with you, that'll
mean a lot to Ebenezer." And he deftly transferred the parrot from his
own shoulder, where she had taken refuge at once on his arrival, to
the lofty shoulder of the Boss.

The bird was disconcerted for an instant. She "slicked" down her
feathers till she looked small and demure, and stretched herself far
out as if to try a jump for her old perch. But, one wing being
clipped, she did not dare the attempt. She had had enough experience
of those sickening, flopping somersaults which took the place of
flight when only one wing was in commission. Turning from the Boy, she
eyed MacAllister's nose with her evil, unwinking stare. Possibly she
intended to bite it. But at this moment MacAllister reached up his
huge hand fearlessly to stroke her head, just as fearlessly as if she
were not armed with a beak that could bite through a boot. Greatly
impressed by this daring, she gurgled in her throat, and took the
great thumb delicately between her mandibles with a daintiness that
would not have marred a rose-petal. Yes, she concluded at once, this
was a man after her own heart, with a smell to his hands like that of
MacPhairrson himself. Dropping the thumb with a little scream of
satisfaction, she sidled briskly up and down MacAllister's shoulder,
making herself quite at home.

"My, but she's taken a shine to you, Mr. MacAllister!" exclaimed the
Boy. "I never saw her do like that before."

The Boss grinned proudly.

"Ananias-an'-Sapphira be of the female sect, bain