The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-08-16
THE CARRIER PIGEON,
And the Message Which Saved Vida
and Roger Lynn.
by Julia K. HitdreM.l

by Julia K. Hitdreth.l
"Vida! Vidal" shouted Roger Lynn, thrust
! ing his head out of the window in the second
story of the barn, and calling to his sister, who
was sitting on the porch, l am going to take
| two pigeons over to Toms. Run, put ON your
hat and things; mamma says you may go with
me-"
"Good!" cried little Vida, clapping her
hands, and disappearing instantly through the
| hall door. Before Roger had caught the birds
and climbed down the ladder she was waiting,
ready, and dressed for her walk, at the garden
gate.
LAST time Tom was here" said Roger as he
came slowly down the path, carefully carrying
a small covered basket In his hand, Il prom
ised him two pigeons as soon as he had built a
house for them. So am going to give him
| Godneck and Cushat."
He will have to cut their wings" said Vida,
| pityingly, or. else they will fly right home
again"
tom knows that, and 1t don't hurt them
| either" answered Roger, as he closed the gar
| den gate after him.
| The road the children took led down by an
inlet of the bay, where two or three boats lay
| fastened by long ropes TO posts driven IN the
ground They were smashing backward and
forward noisily, for the water was rough and
| the wind high.
Whats that in papa's boat 2" exclaimed
| Vida. pointing to one that had great bag
| lying in the stern.
well, declare, if it's not the bag of corn
| father sent Jerry for this morningi" answered
| Roger as he stopped to peep in. Jerry must
have gone home for his dinner and forgotten
all about it. Pll just lift it out and put it in
dry place, for see how the water is scattering
| all over the side of the boat. Hold the basket,
Vida, please and don't let the cover slip of"
"You will never be able to lift that great
bag Roger; it's most as big as yourself" said
| Vida, as she took the basket from him.
And she was right, as Roger soon found for
although he tngged manfully at the heavy bag
of corn, he could only move it few inches.
! Presently, however, he managed to do some
| thing that he had not intended AS he was
hauling first one way and then the other, the
cord that fastened the mouth of the bag came
undone, and all the bright yellow kernels
| poured out into great heap at the bottom of
| the boat.
"Oh dearI" said Roger now you must
come and help me, Vida, or we viii be too late
for our walk
"Yes, Roger, I'll come, but what shall do
with the pigeons?" answered Vida, looking
anxiously at the basket.
Give them to me and I'll put them under
the seat Now take hold of my hand and
jump in. wish had never touched the bag I"
grumbled Roger, as they both stopped down
and began throwing back the corn The four
hands worked as hard and fast as they
could, but it took long time to gather up the
kernels, and, besides, after while the boat
| began rocking SO hard that it shook the corn
| ali over.
There!" said Roger with sigh of relief
| as he put in the last handful and tied up the
| bag again, that's done. Now come, Vida"
| He turned to pick up the basket and climb out
nj he wi hn tla3 Th,f
there was great stretch of little white-capped
waves between him and the land. While the
! children had been busily engaged, with their
| backs TO the bow, the boat had become unfast-
ened and drifted slowly away, and was now
many yards from the shore.
We'll. if that's not too bad !" cried Roger, as
he looked wisttuily at the receding land
Can not we push it back somehow" in
quired Vida, as she climbed over the seat and
stood by Rogers sides
g | don't know of any way" answered Roger,
looking anxiously around. "The oars are not
! here"
AS the boat drifted farther and farther from
the shore, the wind increased, and the frail
vessel rocked so violently that the two chill
dren crouched down in the bottom and held
fast to the seat. Every now aud then Vida or
Roger would peep over the side to see which
way they were going.
| Almost at the mouth of the inlet was a long
narrow strip OF land covered with weeds and
rusheS. 1t was called Heron Island from the
number of great blue herons that frequented
1t, tiptoeing over the mud near the water, or
rising, when disturbed, with whirr and
shrek, from the tangled weeds and shrubs in
the center. This islet was so surrounded by
soft black mud that ii was nearly impossible to
land at any point. SO the herons had almost
undlsputed possession Of the place. 1t was to
this strip of land that the boat was now drift
n tha Obi
watched with curiosity the great birds spread
their wings and sail away to the opposite shore.
The boat moved slowly past tall clumps of coarse
| grass and PUSHES, then suddenly stopped in the
thiekest and blacklist of the mud and stood
perfectly STILL
Now" said Roger, in troubled voice,
there IS no knowing how long we shall have
to stay here. That tall grass hides us COM
pletely from the shore"
The children sat and watched the reeds over
their heads bend ana sway in the wind for
some moments in silence. Presently the pig
cons In the basket began to coo loudly and
rustic about, as though tired of their willow
prison.
Poor little things" said Vida, "why don't
you let them fly? They can find their way
home, and it's too late to go to Toms now"
u will, answered Roger, if some one don't
come for us soon. How / wish / had long
stick!
Nnat would you 90 with IT." asked Vida.
"Oh, I'd tie handkerchief to the end and
wave it backward and forward until somebody
noticed it,"
Vida looked up at the cloudy sky and then
down at the black mud. After while she
said It's dreadfully ugly here, wish l could
get out"
!" But you can't, Vida. That mud Is 30 soft
and deep it would swallow you up in no time.
Don't you remember last spring how Will
Banks tried to wade ashore, and sunk down,
down, down until there was nothing but his
head above the mud, and if some men fishing
had not heard HIM scream he would have gone
altogether underneath and never been seen
again?"
Yes, I remember" answered Vida, "but
that was year ago, and the mud may have
grown hard by this time"
Vida was silent after this for a few minutes.
but presently her eye fell upon long slim pole,
and she cried, Roger, l see splendid long
stick over there, only little way off,"
!" Well, L wish 1t was here" answered Roger,
as he picked up the basket aud peeped in at
the pigeons
Are you going to let them fy?" asked
Vida.
Eyes, / think So" replied Roger. "They
seem so miserable, and We may have to stay
here all night"
"0h, dear 1 shall be dreadfully frightened
when it grows dark" said Vida, mournfully.