The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-23
From the Friend Of Youth.
SAILORS REVENGE UPON A HAWK.
BY MARY IRVING.

BY MARY IRVING.
81 never pitied hawk but once" said a
friend of mine, as we sat discussing "bird
stories," on pleasant winters morning.
"Pity How could one pity a hawke |
should have pitied the chicken he had
clutched!"
"Wait till you hear my story"
was on the blue waters, under the bluer
skies OF the Mediterranean, sailing toward the
isle Of Cyprus. We were midway between
the shores of Europe and Africa, quite out Of
sight OF both. Ii was a calm, sunny spring
day the surface was just ruified into tiny rip
piles, that broke the shadow Of the idle ship,
with her tagging sails floating lazily before the
gentle south wind. Hosts of swallows, who
had flown southwark to find their winter quar-
tiers in Africa, were on their way back to the
summer groves of Greece. The sky-you can
have no idea of the soft, beautiful skies over
those seas-was dotted with clouds of their
gray wings. They flew low, and very slowly
and many of them, when they reached the
masts of the vessel, alighted TO take rest. We
amused ourselves by catching them, which we
could do very easily, for their fatigue seemed TO
have completely tanned them.
My friend was holding one of the poor, tired
little creatures in his hand, and was examin-
ing its plumage. The swallow rested quietly
in his halfopen hand, without even rufiling a
feather, turning its halfshut eye up to him
confdingy.
All at once a hawk, who was also on the
wing of emigration, and who had chosen the
tallest mast as his stand point of observa-
walton, made a swoop, and, rushing down
between us, pounced upon the poor little
bird, snatching him out of our very hands.
Grasping his prey tightly, and wheeling around
with cry of triumph, he few back to his
watch-tower to feast upon the fruits of his
robbery.
| A burst of Indignation went up after him
! from the deck. Sailors are generous creatures;
and the little bird that had sought our protec-
ton was sacred guest to them. The laws of
hospitality had been outrageously violated, and
vengeance must be taken forthwith.
| My own heart, must confess, swelled with
| anger against the bold robber. Hawks are
much holder in eastern countries than here in
America. Possibly, this is because they are,
privileged birds. They do abuse their privi-
I leges most crueGy. ''''' ~ ~ ~
We sent the nimblest of the cabin boys to
the masthead, as our ambassador extraordina-
ny to the invading enemy, He crept 9p Ike
cat among me snfouds, leablhg from rope to
spar sklfully and quietly, and, keeping always
on the opposite side of the mast, he was hid
den from our sight at length by the top sail.
| We watched breathlessly unit. his head ap-
peared again.
"Thsre, thereof cried the mate, tossing up
his tarpaulin, Hurrah !"
| And "Hurrah echoed every voice on deck.
He had pounced upon the murderer at his ban
quet, and he waved him over his head in tri-
umph as he slid down the mast
| The hawk had bitten off the head Of the poor
swallow, and held it in his bloody bill the
body of the bird was firmly clasped in his
claws. He obstinately chung to his victim
through all our shaking and screaming.
The sailors Immediately called council of
war to decide his fate, and voted for Lynch
law. But how should he be punished2 Kill
ing was too good for him and torturing was
rather too cruel for civilized men to think OF
inficting.
"The rascal deserves to be plucked and
roasted alive" exclaimed an indignant tar,
scowling up into the shrouds. "Aha"
We looked up after him, and saw the mate
of the hawk sitting upon the miZZen mast, I'M
conscious Of our plots, or of the capture of her
spouse.
8" Up after her, my lad" cred the seamen.
Poor thing it was rather cruel to make her
suffer for the misconduct OF her "lord and
master :" but she was not the first "wife ," who
had done it. The same boy glided up,
and
"You don't mean that he caught her. too"
Z" Don't shake your head so lncredulously!
| tell you it is true. She was, no doubt, eX-
ceedingly wearied, like the swallow, by the
long flight from Shore"
A second shOut RANG ont The sailors Gins
tered around the two prisoners, venting their
spite and triumph, while looked on in Won
der to see what they wonid do next | was
not long left in doubt. The mate drew from
his pocket stout piece OF rope, a little more
than yard in length. One end of this he fas
tened to the claw of the criminal, and the
other to that Of his mate.
you've been no iarlocent in your day, my
lady, I'll answer for it," he soliloquiZed over
her Cpl chain We with clear conscience"
Having tried the strength of the string, he
swung the hawks into the air, while stunning
shout went up from his comrades.
The fettered birds, now bound together by a
tie literally indissoluble, fiuttered, struggled,
and pulled at first in the greatest trouble and
dlsmay but all in vain.
"Wil they sink ~ | asked, as with a feel
ing Of real pity looked after their once free
wings.
NY friend shook his head "a mere lin
gering death they will have oft; but they de-
serve 1.-THE scOundrels"
They seemed to agree at last upon sort OF
compromise, and rose slowly into the air, first
one above, then the other, in sort of swing
ing motion. Zig-zag, zig gag, up and down,
hither and thither, they hoated away toward
the shores of Africa, and were lost to our sight
in the blue, boundless horizon.