Wild Kindred [Illustration: (snowy egret chick)] [Frontispiece: THIS WAS A LUCKY NIGHT FOR PETER, AND HE MANAGED TO SAVE HIS GREY PELT. (_Frontispiece_)] [Illustration: Title page] Wild Kindred Jean M. Thompson The Illustrations by Warwick Reynolds & Charles Copeland Jonathan Cape Eleven Gower Street, London First Published, 1922 All Rights Reserved Contents CHAP. I. The Narrow Escape of Velvet Wings II. How Lhoks went back to the Forest III. The Trials of Peter Possum IV. The Minnow Twins V. How Porcupine Ridge was Settled VI. Methuselah, the Tyrant of Black Pond VII. Mahug, the Champion Diver VIII. Fierce Star Nose, and Burrower IX. The Loyalty of Silver Wing, the Gull X. How Kos-Ko-Menos, the Kingfisher, won his Belt XI. The Wit of Clown-face, the Badger XII. The Sugar Camp on Lone Mountain XIII. The Peril of the Snowy Egrets XIV. Mogul, last Buffalo of the Herd XV. The Last Panther on Cushman Range XVI. Nemox, the Crafty Robber of the Marshes List of Illustrations "This was a lucky night for Peter, and he managed to save his grey pelt" (_Frontispiece_) "Suddenly the ball unrolled itself, and an ugly blunt snout appeared" "Spitting, snarling, yelling ... it charged upon the porcupines" "Down like an avalanche he came, snatching the mink in his beak" "He rose from the great wave, bearing aloft a glistening herring" "Out popped the funny painted face of the badger" "On his way to the nest, with a pouch full of fish" "The panther crouched at the foot of the ladder ... making up its mind to climb" Wild Kindred CHAPTER I THE NARROW ESCAPE OF VELVET WINGS "Whir, whir, whir," sounded the swish of many silken wings. The swallows had arrived from the South; thousands of them there were, long winged and dusky brown, with faintly russet breasts. So full of joyous bustle they were over their arrival, "cheep, cheep, cheeping," making a great clamour as they separated into colonies, seeking a home for the summer. The old red barn seemed to invite them; in fact, two colonies had a regular pitched battle over its possession, until at last the stronger band drove away the weaker, and took possession of the coveted spot. They swarmed into the old barn through small windows high in its peak, chattering together as they selected building sites. So great a clamour did the swallows make in the silence of the dim, old barn that they disturbed and finally awakened many who had not aroused themselves from their winter's torpor and sleep.