I followed him with my eyes
until the precipice below prevented my seeing him any longer.
It seemed to me a full hour before he re-appeared, and as he came
nearer I saw something in his beak. It was a bunch of grapes. He flew
toward me. I held out my hand to receive him, and with a heart full of
thankfulness I took the precious fruit from his beak.
"Thank you, thank you, Pippity!" I said. But Pippity didn't wait for
such little expressions of civility. Immediately, he flew away again,
and soon returned with other fruits, and nuts of various kinds; and, as
he could bring but little at a time, of course I could eat but little
at a time, which was a happy circumstance, for that is just the way a
starving man should eat.
In about four or five hours I told Pippity I had had enough.
"And now, Pippity," said I, "tell me,--how long have I been away?"
He promptly answered, "Three days!"
"Are you sure?"
"Three days--one, two, three."
I was almost sure he was right. But how the bird had found me I could
not make out. I questioned him in many ways, but could get no
satisfactory answer. By my not returning the day I went down into the
hole, and not the next, no doubt my friends began to be alarmed for my
safety, and set to work to find me, if possible.
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