The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-08-01 00:00:00

A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURZ.

A few days ago I removed a couple of hens from broods
of chicks with which they had been cooped nearly a month
in a croft close by my rustic dwelling, and by an odd
avincidence, if it be one, found next morning that an
eeemy had been in the camp during the night, for there
Lay within a yard of its coop the remains of a month-old
chick half eaten. Some guessing took place as to who or
what could have been the marauder, but my gardener was
lenitive that "rpm ha' been that black cat o' Brown's,"
which he forthwith requested permission to "nick' end
on," on my account of course. It was certainly suggestive
that, the most weekly among the several dozens of various
sorts and conditions of chickens running practically at
liberty about the spot should have been selected, because
the fact seemed to imply that its captor had been just
nimble enough to catch it, and therefore scarcely so active
as a club; besides which I thought a rat would probably
have merle a heartier meal than half of so small a chick,
supposing it had not, cat-like, first carried it off altogether.
So • that cat o' Brown's," though under sore suspicion,
escaped molestation for the present—at all events till it
should he mem what another night should bring forth.
The next evening the chicks were all left safe, cuddled
up together in their coops pretty much al freivo, and with
two acres of croft and open to them in which to
wetter and take refuge case of attack. Sure enough an
/attack came. A little before midnight I was roused from
my first uneasy attempt at alumbsr—the weather be •
trifle if the warmest even for July—by loud and most
piteous cries from my chicks, the more audibir inasmuch
as the open window looked dawn almost straight upon
their harbotirage. In a very few moments I was down
among the einglited and distressed chicks in no little ex-
citement and the airiest of costumes: but though chicks
were to be heard calling all over the place, nothing, except
one or two of themselves, was to be seen. There seemed
nothing for it but to hope that the little creatures would
be too active for their enemy and keep out of its reach;
bet hardly had I returned to my room before the same
distressful cries arose &Fain, and ono, more, consume
as were, I tried to discover the nature of the foe
evidently so feared by my poor chicks. As I stood beside
one of the coops • chick with its feathers sadly named
blundered in the semi-darkness against my alippered but
otherwise bare foot. Its gait and appearance betokened
serious injury as well as fright, and I groped after it as
well as I could, but lost it in the adjoining
Presently, however, it "rolled" into view again and I
grabbed at it, to and, however, by most indubitable
avidence that its " feathers" were too stiff, and especially
toe pointed, to belong to a chicken of such size. Only
one kind of wild fowl could produce such a feeling as
this one had caused in the hand that had grabbed it, and
• certeLa shrivelling into itself and cessation of all motion
about it, helped to the discovery that the creature was— I
▪ hedgehog! With the hale td • bent stick he was
speedily lifted bate an empty tub standing near, and there
left to his Facetious till the morning, the capture and
incarceration being effected just on the stroke of mid-
night. No further alarm occurred, and next morning the
tab-head court-martial unanimously agreed that the pri-
mmer below was undoubtedly the author of the late
ihettatheece. Opinions differed as to the slaying and half-
eating of the afore-mentioned chick, suspicion in a
certain quarter being still strong against "that bled,
cat;" but though the evidence as to this crime was merely
circumstantial, it was felt to be so strong that the court
unanimously endorsed the gardener's proposition to "cut
heed off se' bury 'int"
Since the grim sentence was carried into effect all has
been peace. But is it reason or instinct that has led all
the larger chicks to leave their own free and open night
coasters and crowd in with their younger brothers and
seaters in the coops that are protected with wire farming, ,
eat even the bluest of them that are unable to get I
through the °peelings wait till the fence is lifted to kit
thew is i—W.W., Staintewin-Ciceelead.