Little Billy Nuthatch “blinded” behind a big stump, and little Sheldon whispered, “Come on, Daddy!” to Robert Robin, and both of them flew away as fast as they could. And that was the reason why little Billy Nuthatch hunted all that Fall for little Sheldon Robin, and never found him.
Robert Robin and his family were now ready to start for the south. “Across the lakes, and over the mountains, and along the river to the great bay!” repeated Robert Robin, and all the rest of the robins repeated it after him,—“Across the lakes, and over the mountains, and along the river to the great bay!”
Over the little lakes they flew, higher and higher into the air, until the mountains were crossed, and the river lay in the wide valley below them. The river itself seemed a blue ribbon on a carpet of brown and green. Hardly a sound came from below, but the noise of their own wing pinions as they whistled through the air made a sound like the panting of tiny engines,—“Swish-swish-swish-swish!” as Robert Robin led his family towards the warm south.
“Isn’t that Elmira?” asked Mrs. Robin.
“Yes, my dear!” answered Robert Robin, “and we will soon be with Cousin Phineas.”
In a few moments they were all perched in the tree where Cousin Phineas had his nest. But Cousin Phineas was not at home. He had gone to Big Flats after sweet corn; Mister Oliver Sparrow came fluttering into the tree and asked:
“Hi sye, Old Top, don’t you know that this is not a public camping spot? We ’ave no accommodations for tourists! Better keep moving or Hi’ll call the force!” That made Robert Robin very angry, and he hopped very close to where Mister Oliver Sparrow was sitting and said, “In the country where I came from, we robins do not let an impudent little sparrow even speak to us, but I will not pull the feathers out of your back this time, if you will kindly tell me where my Cousin Phineas is to-day!”
“Hi! Hi! Fellows!” shouted Oliver Sparrow. “’Ere’s a country robin what is a cousin of Phin’s! Come and ’elp me pick ’em!”
