Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-03-19
The Lost Falcon.

In Knox's "Game- Birds and Wild Fowl
an English work, occurs the following:
A friend of Colonel Bonhsm-the late
Col. Johnson of the Rife Br:gade-gas Or
dered to Canada with battalion, in which
he was then a Captain; and, being very
fond of fa!conry, to which he mad devoted
much time and expense, he took with him
two o mis- favorite peregrines as his COM
pauions across the Atlantic. 1t was his
constant habit during the voyage to allow
them TO fly every day, after feeding them
up, that they might not be induced to rake
off after passing sea-gull, or wander out
of sight of the vessel Sometimes their
rsmbles wer. very wide and protracted; at
others, they would ascend to such a hight
a. TO be almost lost to view OF the passen-
gers, who soon found them an efectual
means Of relieving the tedium Of a long sea-
voyage, and naturally took lively interest
in their welfare; but as they were in the
habi. Of returning regularly to the ship, no
unea,iness was felt during their occasional
absence At last. one evening, after 4
lUnger flight :han usual, enc of the falcons
returned alone; the other, the Frime favor
lite. vas missing. Day afier day pass d
away. and, however much he may have co.,
tinued to regret his loss, Captain Johnson
had at length fully made up his mind that it
was irritriev bile, and that he should nevC r
see her again. SOon alter the arrival OF
the reg ment in America, on cas- ing his eyes
over Halifax newspaper, he was struck hy
paragraph Announcing that the captain OF
an American schooner had at that moment
n lis possession fine hawk, which had
suddenly made lis appearance on board his
ship during his late passage from Liverpool.
The idea AZ once occurred TO Captain John
son that mis- could be no o'her than his
nIucli-prized faicon: so, having obtained in.
mediate leave of absence, he set out for H@l-
flax, ufuey of some days. Ca arriving
there he lost no time in waiting on The
Commander OF the schooner, announcing
the chject OF his journey, and reques ling
that lie might be allowed to see the bird
but Jonathan had no idea of relinquishlng
his prize so easily, and stouty refused e
admit OF the interview, guessing" that il
gOs very well for an EngIisher to lay claim
10 another mans properly, but ''calcu iatirg
that it was "tarnation sight" harder iol
him to get possession of it; and oucludeC
by asserting, in unqualified terms, his entire
disbelief in the whole story. Captain John
sons object, no oRever, being rather to re-
cover his falcon than to pick quarrel will
the truculent Yankee, he had fortunate iS
sufficient seif-commanG to curb his indigna
ton, and proposed that his claim 10 the
ownership o the bird should be a. once pu
to the test by an experiment. which severa
Americans who were present admitted to b
perfectly reasonable. and in which the
coun rrman was az last persuad TO acqui
esce. 1t was this: Captain Johnson was Il
which, by the wey, had as ye; shown nC
partially for any person since her arrival l
the NV world, but, on .he Contrary, hai
rather repelied all attempts at familiarity -
and Il, at this meeting she Should not onl,
eXhibi! such unequivocal signs o: attach
ment and recognition as shou d induce the
majority of The bystandors 10 believe tha
he real was her original master, but cspc
cially if she should play with the buttons o
his coat, then the American was at once t,
wave ell claim TO her. The trial was I'M
mediately made. The Yankee went VI
stairs, and shorty returned with the falcon
but the door was hardly opened before shC
darted from his fist, and percEed on tht
shoulder OF her beloved and long-lost pro-
tec,or, evincing by every means in heI
power her delight and affection, rubbing
her head against his cheek, and tax ing ho Il
of the buttons of his coat, and champn!
them payfully between her mantbles, one
alter the other. This was enough Tht
iury were unanimous. "A verdict for tht
plaintiff was pronounced; even the obduratt
heart of he sea captain was melted, and thu
falcon was at once restored to the arms o
her right:ui owner.