The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-08-15
TOMMY'S LASSO.
How the Joke of the Farm Was Held In
Making an Important Capture.

How the Joke of the Farm Was Held in
Making an Important Capture.
For long time Tommy Harmon's
lasso was the joke of the farm. He had
read somewhere of the wonderful do
ings of Western COWBOYS with the lasso,
and from a description givenin that ac-
count he had made himself very fair
specimen.
The fact that there was no earthly
use for such thing as lasso on the
New York farm where he lived made
no difference in Tommy's enthusiasm,
and with great impartiality he went
about lassoing-or lassoing at-eyery-
thing Gate post, dog, cat or calf was
welcome alike to Tommy, and he mind
ed neither failure nor laughter.
BY and by the day of Tommy's tri-
umph came. 1t came quite uneXpect-
edly, and without any help from him,
except in the way of what Matt, the
hired man, called silly suggestion.
1t happened in this way: A fox had
been stealing Mrs. Harmon's chickens,
until that good lady lost patience and
insisted that trap should be set for the
thief.
Tommy, accordingly, baited steel
trap with a nice young chicken, and set
it between the barn and the wood lot,
where Master Fox was supposed to hide
during the day. Then Tommy went
away, intending to visit the trap the
next morning.
About an hour later, however, he saw
half-dozen crows angrlly fluttering
over the spot where he had set the trap,
and it occurred to him at once that the
fox had already been caught, and was
being attacked by the crows.
He caught up stick and ran hastily
toward the trap more sorry at each
step that he did not have his lasso with
him. As he drew near the spot he
could hear the angry cav, cav of the
crows, and could see them furiously
swoop and rise again, all of which
made him think that the fox was fight
| ing hard for his life.
But just imagine his surprise, when
he had gotten through the corn-feld
and could see the trap, at discovering
that instead of fox an eagle was
caught. He could now understand
what the crows were so angry about.
Grows hate hawks and cages, and take
every opportunity to injure them
They seemed to know that this eagle
could not defend himself very we'll
and they went at him on every side
making the feathers fly at every attack
The eagle could easily have carr,eC
away the steel-trap if it had not beer
fastened by chain to stake. As i
was. the captured bird struggled madly
at the end of the chain in his efforts t
beat of the crows.
Tommy at once became greatly ex
cited, and with visions of stuffed eagles
floating through his mind, ran at tn,
great bird, intending to kill it with ;
blow of his stick, and then carry j
home.
This would have been an excellen
plan if the eagle had only stood still
and stretched out its neck for Tomm,
to hit But it did not, and befor
Tommy knew it he was on the ground
with torn clothes and bleeding face. l
was very well for him that he had no
fallen within reach of the angry eagle
or Tommy might not have lived t.
laugh over the triumph of his lasso.
Fortunately the eagle could not reacI
him, and Tommy was able to scrambl
to his feet and run toward the house
great deal more quickly than he ha
run to the trap.
Near the wagon-house he met Matt
and breathlessly explained matters t
him. Tommys appearance Shove
that he was not telling a big story, an
Matt, only stopping to ask where tn
trap was, started off at a run.
Tommy darted into the wagon-houst
snatched his beloved laSso from its peg
| and followed after Matt as quickly {
} his tired legs could take him. Exact
what he intended to do with the lass
he did not know He took it becaus
it was a sort of second nature to do S,
When he reached the field he foun
that Matt was as badly off as he ha
been. The eagle had contrived to pu
up the stake, and was struggling wi
claws and beak to tear out MATHS eye
5 while Matt was trying hard to G
{ away, beating at the bird with i
: hands to keep it from his face.
Tommy's excited mind there was b
one thing to do.
'Lasso it. Matt! lasso it," he erie
= thrusting his lasso into Mats hands,
Anything to beat the savage ol