and made to pass over the heads of the hungry mariners. When people's appetites are keen, they have a very quick scent for anything savoury in the wind.
'That smoke comes from the kitchen!' cried one of them, turning up his nose as high as he could, and snuffing eagerly. 'And as sure as I'm a half-starved vagabond, I smell roast meat in it.'
'Pig, roast pig!' said another. 'Ah, the dainty little porker! My mouth waters for him.'
'Let us make haste,' cried the others, 'or we shall be too late for the good cheer!'
But scarcely had they made half a dozen steps from the edge of the cliff, when a bird came fluttering to meet them. It was the same pretty little bird, with the purple wings and body, the yellow legs, the golden collar round its neck, and the crown-like tuft upon its head, whose behaviour had so much surprised Ulysses. It hovered about Eurylochus, and almost brushed his face with its wings.
'Peep, peep, pe—weep!' chirped the bird.
So plaintively intelligent was the sound, that it seemed as if the little creature were going to break its heart with some mighty secret that it had to tell, and only this one poor note to tell it with.
'My pretty bird,' said Eurylochus—for he was a wary person, and let no token of harm escape his notice—'my pretty bird, who sent you hither? And what is the message which you bring?'
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