The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-09-16
A Bird Story for the Boys and Girls.
Philadelphia Times.

SIy III Ohioy ohu SopS NA"y 40 &" ""sSAAAS
place at the very point of New Jerseys great
toe. In the early part Of the month Of
August two lads, whose homes were in Cleve-
land, were at Cape May together, but one Of
them was obliged to return with his father
in order to get ready for school. Phil was
the boy who took the train westward bound,
and Harry was the lad who stood on the
depot platform at Cape May, and shouted ::
Good-by; don't forget Dick"
"Dck" was not a boy, but a brd-as
pretty pigeon as ever was. His cote was
at the Cape, and there also were his wife and
children. Phil gave him some crumbs and
carefully slowed the cage away under the
car seat. All that night and the next day
Phil and his pigeon travelled westward, COM
ing finally to Phl's house at Cleveland.
That evening Phil wrote the following in
very small words on a tiny bit of tissue paper:
"Home safe. Toms busted the cover off
his ball, and Professor jenkins got throwed
Off n his horse and is laid up with broke
leg. All well. Your ma says you ought to
come with ,s. Both of my pups can see, and
Susies cats got kittens Burglars got into
your pas house and stole everything. Good
by PHIL"
Early the next morning Phil tied the note
to Dicks neck, wrapping silk about it secure
ly, and let Dick out of his cage. Dick flew
up above the houses and went round in a
circle. Then he mounted still higher and
made another circle, and all at once darted
in straight line towards the southeast.
Why he took that direction Dick didn't
know himself. He felt it in him that he was
right, and nothing could have induced him
to change his course. Phil couldn't see the
sun when he let Dick 60, but as soon as the
bird got a few hundred feet above the tree
tops he caught glimpse of the suns round
rim, just rising far to the east. Dick made
up his mind to see his wife and children be-
fore night. He gave the air strong strokes,
and before Phil could count a hundred was
out Of sight. Dick saw houses and trees and
fields below him, aud dark gray mist
shrouded the earth but he kept on. As the
red rays of the sun shone upon his body he
looked to the other birds like darting thing
of light. A crow with "hawk-hawk flew
across his path, bee-bird tried to head him
of, and a flock of swift-winged swallows
joined in the race, but not an inch from his
airline did Dick swerve. Soon away to the
south he saw great clouds of smoke rising
from Pittsburg, and just ahead of him was a
blue line of mountains. Dick wanted a
drink of water very badly. The sun began
to burn. The air was still and hot, and only
in cleaving it like an arrow could Dick gain
. bit of comfort. On he few, over the
smoky oil country, into the blue of the high
hills, and thus he passed many towns look
ing like blocks of toy houses far below. An
eagle sat at the top of dead hemlock on
the summit of one of the Alleghenies, and
when Dick swept by the eagle shrieked at
him and gave chase. Dick put on more
speed. His wings cut the air so quickly that
they looked as though they were standing
still, and long before the brave bird came to
the Susquehanna he had left the old pirate
of the mountains behind.
Dick heard the steam whistles harshly tell
ing Of noon. The sun was above, and the
poor fellow was becoming tired, but he didn't
want to drop down to earth to rest. Flying
swiftly on for two hours more he saw an OBJ
ject floating directly in his path. He saw
with his quick eyes that it wasn't live OBJ
ject, and 50 approaching he perched upon its
peak. And what do the children think It
was? A little balloon, no more or less! 1t
was about the size of bushel basket, and
below hung small car, In which was cute
little doll. Whence did 1t come? Dick
didn't know. Nor did he care. He hoped
down into the car and was overjoyed to see
bit Of bread that had been put there, no
doubt, for the use of Miss Dolly. Dick
helped himself to crumbs, blinked at the sun
As If to say, ave rested two minutes at
least" and then darted away on his journey.
Broad fields were below him and the skies
were blue, but off to the north the air looked
terings of thunder. 1t was sunset, and the
storm was rolling rapidly down. Would the
whistling wind stop him? 1t was a race
between the great clouds and the little bird,
but Dick was brave and he wanted to see his
children before dark. The clouds, black
angry and full Of noise, swept along. Dick
flaw higher and higher. Drops began to fall
and Dick caught them upon his thirsty
tongue. Lightning ran heet-footed beneath
him, but the birds eyes were keen, and soon
he found himself above the very topmost
point Of the storm. Up there the air was
still. As Dick passed over Philadelphia, a
great black curtain hung around the city,
but he could hear hammering noise below.
Not moment did Dick stop to listen. Te
the south he saw in the twilight q great
stretch of water. The moon came out Of
the sea to the east. On Dick dashed, until
with a soft coo, he put his head in at the door
of his cote and kissed his childre one By
one.
"What = pity" said Harry to himself, =
few minutes after he had gone to the cote on
the following morning.. What . pity
about Toms ball bein' busted, and wonder
II the burglars got my top and bag Of mar
bles."
A New Wrinkle IN Wsltzing.
Whitehall Revie,o.