The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-04-02
From kuox's Game Bird, aud Wild Fowl

The Falcon--Personal Attachment.
\ friend of Colonel Bonhnm-the late
Captain johnson of the Rifle Brigade-was
ordered 10 Canada with his battalion, in
which he was then captain and being very
fond Of filconrv. 10 which he had dc voted
much time and expense, he took with him
two of his favori,e peregrines, as his compan.
ions across the Atlai,lic.
II was his constant habit during the voyage
to allow Them 10 fly every day, after feed
ing them ups" thai they might not be in
duced TO take of after passing seh> gull, o,
wander out Of sight Of the vessel. S,mc-
times their rambcs were very wide and pro-
trac'cd. At others they would ascend to
su ii II height as to be almost lost the view
of the passengers, who soon found them an
elIcctua means of relieving the edium of Il
long sea voyage, and naturally took lively
interest in THEN welfare, but as they were in
the habit of returning regularly to the ship
no uneasiness was feIt during their Occasion
al absence. AT last, one evening, after a
longer flight than usual one OF the falcons
returned alone. The oiher-the prime ia
vori'e-was missing. Day after day passed
away. and however much he may have con-
tinued 10 regret his loss, Captain johnson
had at length fully made up his mind that
it was rretrievable, and that he should new
er see her agarn.
Soon after the arrival of The regiment in
America, on casting his eyes over Halifax
newspaper, he was struck by paragraph
announcing that the captain of an American
schooner had at that moment in his losses.
SION fine hawk, which had suddcnl, made
its appearance on board his ship during his
late passage from Liverpool The idea at
once occurred to Captain johnson that this
could be no other than his mach priced fal-
con, SO, having obtained immediate leave OF
absence, he set cut for Halifax, II journey oil
some days. On arriving there he lost nc
time in waiting on the commander of the
schooner, announcing the Object Of his jour
ney, aud requested that he might be allowec
TO see the bird but Jonathan had no idea
Of relnqui-hing hi, p'izc so easily and stout,
refused to admit Of he interview, "gucssina'
Lat il was very easy for an Eng,her 10 lay
claim 10 another mans property, but ca
culaiing that 1t was a tarnalion sight
harder for him 10 get possession OF it; and
concluding by asserting in unqualified term,
his entire Disbelief in the story.
Capt. Johnson's object being rather TO re
cover his falcon than to pick a quarrel witt
the tuculent Yankee, he had fortunately
sufficient sell>command TO curb his ndigna
ton, and proposed that his claim to the own
ership OF the bird should be at once put lc
the test by an experiment, which several
Americans who were present admitted to b,
perfectly reasonable, aud in which iheil
countryman was at last persuaded TO ac-
quiesce. II was this. Capt. johnson wal
&c be admitted to an interview with the haN
which. hy the way, had as yet shown nj
pariialily for any person since her arriva
in the New World, but on the contrary haC
rather repelled all attempts at familiarity
and if At this meeting it should not only ex
hibii such unequivocaI signs of attachmen
and recognition as should induce the MAORI
ty of the bysianders to believe that he wa
her original master, but especially if sh
should play with the buttons of his coat, ihei
The American was AT once TO waive all clain
to her The trial was Immediately made
The Yankee went up stairs, and shortly re
turned with the falcon but the door wa
hardly opened before she daried from hi
fist and perched at once on the shoulder c
her beloved and long lost protector, evinc
! ing, by every means in her power, her dc
c light and affection, rubbing her head again,
his cheek, and taking hold of the buttons {
e his coat, and champing them Playfully be
a tween her mundibles. one after another
This was enough The jury were unani
nous. A verdict for the plaintiff was pre-