To such an one the only true test
lies in the eggs. _Solvitur ambulando_. Barrett laid the pill-boxes,
containing the precious specimens he had found in the nest at the top
of the hill, at the foot of the tree, and began to climb.
It was to be a day of surprises for him. When he had got half way up he
found himself on a kind of ledge, which appeared to be a kind of
junction at which the tree branched off into two parts. To the left was
the nest, high up in its fork. To the right was another shoot. He
realized at once, with keen disappointment, that it would be useless to
go further. The branches were obviously not strong enough to bear his
weight. He looked down, preparatory to commencing the descent, and to
his astonishment found himself looking into a black cavern. In his
eagerness to reach the nest he had not noticed before that the tree was
hollow.
This made up for a great many things. His disappointment became less
keen. Few things are more interesting than a hollow tree.
'Wonder how deep it goes down,' he said to himself. He broke off a
piece of wood and dropped it down the hollow.
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