“Pop! Pop!” exploded the crow, like a cork coming from a bottle.
“Oh, it’s Jim! It’s Mr. Jenk’s lame, tame crow, Jim! We’ve found him!” shouted Janet in delight. “We’ve found him!”
Then, with another hoarse caw, the crow flew over and began picking at the cheese in Teddy’s hand.
There was no doubt of it, they had found the lame crow. Jim was so tame, and he knew the Curlytops so well, that he allowed his black feathers to be stroked as he picked at the cheese. He seemed to be enjoying himself very much.
“Now we’ve got him how are we going to keep him?” asked Ted. “He may fly away again.”
“You could tie a string to his leg,” suggested Janet.
“I will!” decided her brother. He had plenty of string in his pocket. Putting the cheese down on a log, where Jim could pick at it, Ted soon tied a strong cord around the crow’s sound leg. The other end of the cord Ted fastened to his waist to have both his hands free.
While he was doing this Janet walked over to the low stump where the crow had what might be called his nest, though wild crows always build in the highest trees they can find. Janet looked down in the hollow stump. She saw bits of mussel shells, some bright pebbles, a lot of hair from the tails of horses and a shiny piece of tin. Then she saw something else that caused her to cry out in wonder.
“What is it?” asked Teddy, who had tied Jim fast to him.
“Oh, look what I’ve found!” gasped Janet. She held up something glittering and shiny that dangled to and fro. “It’s mother’s diamond locket and chain that we were playing house with!” cried Janet. “I’ve found mother’s lost locket in Jim crow’s nest! Oh, how glad I am!”