Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-01-19
THE LITTLE BIRD.HUNTER.

"Now, mother" said Theodore, "I am
ready for big hunt! Just look at my
gun, will you" asl
1t was cross gun,-which in boy Ian
guage signifies a bow with a stock
whitfield out of pine wood, bow of hick-
DRY, a notch for holding the cord when il
was drawn for shot, and wooden button
for trigger to pull it off. The arrow
also of pine-fitted in groove cut in the
upper side of the stock.
This is what you have been at work at
these three days past, is ity' said Mrs. Co
burn "NOw what do you expect to
sh0ot?" g.t..
"A bearv said Theodore, stoutly
"A beary' laughed his mother.
We'll, a mouse, then. Or squirrel.
But if see one, / shall play it's bear.
And shall creep along, creep along, just
like an old hunter Theodore adjusted
his arrow, and drew down the string, and
called his dog, and went on tiptoe about
the little old kitchen, as If expecting to
come suddenly upon huge shaggy mon
ster behind the rocking chair which he
imagined to be a mountain ledge or thicket
"then, the minute l see his head, take
aim.-bang"
There you've done ii now" cried his
mother: for the arrow, instead of piercing
the bears head, glanced from the arm of
the rocking chair and hit the face of the
clock,--or rather, the glass over the face.
Never mind; didn't break it," said
Theodore.
swell, l guess the bears are safe from
your shotsI laughed his mother, seeing
the glass wasn't even cracked. But go
out of the house, il you can't shoot any
straighter than that, I'm afraid you'll kill a
flyp 80
"Come, Hunter" said Theodore; 1--WE
will 20 down to the water, and may be we
will get crack at wild goose" F-4.
Hunter was little, short, fat puppy, OF
no particular breed, although Theodore
called hiln-by great stretch Of imagina-
tion-a setter, when he talked of shooting
birds, and greyhound, when wild beasts
were in question His body wasn't much
bigger than Mrs. Coburn's round, black
earthen teapot and IL If yea eouidd fancy the
head and ears the handle, why, then, his
queer little stump of a tail bore comical
resemblance to the spout. The water "
was marshy piece Of ground behind the
house: and the "wild goose /" was-well,
robin or a GparrOw.
In straw hat and shirt sleeves, with his
trousers rolled up To his knees, and Hun
ter at his heels looking as If he wondered
What his young master was going TO do,
Theodore went stepping cautiously
through the coarse wet grass of the marsh
side, and across the meadow, fancying him
self practised sportsman, ready for any
game that might appear Once he shot at
grass finch that flew up; and again at a
swallow that went Swimming by, 50 grace
full and SO swift; then he lost his arrow
firing at blackbird, and was obliged TO
make another Of splinter from the near
est rail-fcnce.
At last he approached a sparrow Hutter-
ing in great distress Of mind about bush
in which she had nest full Of young ones.
To divert the hunters attention from them,
she flew away, and hoped along on the
ground before him, and finally allowed him
to come within very few feet Of her as
she sat on fallen bough,
"Now is my chance!' thought Theo-
dore as she chirped and futtered, as If
about TO fly again. Away went the arrow
but instead of hitting the mother bird, 1t
sailed harmlessly over her head and alight-
ed In the bush where her young ones were
hidden. Theodore ran to find it and
there he saw it lying across twig few
inches above the precious nest.
"Ah. this is what she is making such q
fuss aboutp', said he, as the poor little
things, hearing the bush rustic, stretched
up their necks and opened their mouths
for the expected worm or insect, which
the mother was to bring them. II
wouldn't hurt you for the world, pretty
birds! l won't tell Bob Wainwright
where this nest is, for he would rob II
and IL I see the cat creeping this way, I'll
shoot her! Come away, Hunter! let the
mother 60 back to her nest. She'll find /
haven't done 1t any harmp
Theodore had another good chance to
shoot the old bird as he went from the
spot. He drew his bow, and took aim,
and thought, "Now could" But he
didn't. For their sakes, / wouldn't hurt
. feather Of you:" said he, watching her
as she returned to find her little family all
safe In the bush.
That night when Theodore lay awake
In his bed thinking how he had SHARED