"First I'll make sure that the eggs are still there, " thought he,and flew high above the tree tops, so that as he passed over thetree in which was the aged nest of Red-tail the Hawk, he might lookdown into it. To have seen him, you would never have guessed that hewas looking for anything in particular. He seemed to be just flyingover on his way to some distant place. If the eggs were still there,he meant to come back and hide in the top of a near-by pine-tree towatch until he was sure that he might safely steal those eggs, or tofind out whose they were.

Blacky's heart beat fast with amazenement as he drew near that very agedtumble-down nest. Would those two big black eggs be there? Perhapsthere would be three! The fairly thought made him flap his wings alittle faster. A few more wing strokes and he would be right overthe tree. How he did hope to see those eggs! He could almost seeinto the nest now. 0ne stroke! Two strokes! Three strokes! Blackybit his tongue to keep from giving a sharp caw of disappointment andsurprise.