Pit seemed as if the little creature were going to
break its heart with some mighty secret that it
had to teil, and only this one poor note to U-ll
it with.

"My pretty bird," said Eurylochus, for he-
was a wary person, and let no token of harm es-
cape his notice, "my pretty bird, who sent you
hither? And what is the message which you
bring?"

"Peep, peep, pe weep!" replied the bird,
very sorrowfully.

Then it flew towards the edge of the cliff,
and looked round at them, as if exceedingly
anxious that they should return whence they
came. Eurylochus and a few of the others were
inclined to turn back. They could not help sus-
pecting that the purple bird must be aware of
something mischievous that would befall them
at the palace, and the knowledge of which af-
fected its airy spirit with a human sympathy and
sorrow. But the rest of the voyagers, snuffing
up the smoke from the palace kitchen, ridiculed
the idea of returning to the vessel. One of them
(more brutal than his fellows, and the most no-
torious gormandizer in the whole crew) said such

[[173]]

p172 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p173w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p174

v?