The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-07-12

NANE ~ oeihE AAr lADfGA AAAAA q anu
he mumbled something back Then
the two bobbed their heads and con-
fabbed further for Il minute or so. and
then yelled 10 the huck out in the field.
The whole lot came flying 70 the fence.
and a great pOw-Wow was held. The
noisy interchange Of views seemed to
end in 4 perfect agreement among the
crows. for they all few down in a body
and surrounded the ground-hOg's hole.
1 thought az first that they intended
TO go TO work and dig the poor wood
chuck out and make n meal Of him,
but that idea was soon knOrked ont Of
my head. What do YOU suppose they
did? They all fell to with a will and
began to fill that grvund-hog's hole mp
with stones and dirt They worked
and they worked aud they worked. aud
In the course Of half an hour they had
plugged the hole mp As far rs they
could get the dirt aud stuff into Il,
and packed il down 50 hard that moth
ing less than a pickaNe could have
budged IT, ! was beginning to feel
sorry for that unfortunate wOOdchuck.
all fastened mp in the hole that way,
and probably pretty badly torn up by
the attacks Of the crows al that. and
was resolving in my mind to go and
borrow n pick somewhere and come
back and dig him out that night after
the crows had gone to roust. when
what should ] see but something NOV
ing on the opposite side 81 the knoll.
and presently pop! came the ground
hogs head out Of the ground. fifty feet
away from where the crows we're peg
ging away at fastening him in, and out
Of their sight. The willy animal had
dug his way across and made new
exit lie drew himself out slyly, looked
about fora moment, listened
then stole around the base
Of the knoll. aud went back To the
wheat-iicld. where he took his position
in the siubble and went To feeding
again rs if nothing had happened. All
this time the crows were still working
away at making the grounding a
prisoner. as they supposed. and kept
on for ten minutes after the ground
hog had returned to his mutton in the
field. The situation was 50 cumical
that ] could hardly keep from bowling,
but ! did. because felt that there was
more fun coming and didn't want to
spoil it.
after thu gruund-hug's hole had
been Theoretically sealed the crows
held another pow-wOw, at which they |
plainly congratulated themselves ON
The clever manner in which they had |
the woodchurk. Then
hey all rose mp aud flew back toward |
heir fccdiug-placp. Suddenly the !
cading crow actually staggered in the
,ir and cirrlcd back in dazed sort Of |
way 10 the fence. lie had caught sight
# the grounding placidly gathering
wheat in the stuhble. Crow after
row made the same discovery. and all
brought mp ia state 81 almost spcrch-
css CONSERVATION un the fence. Pres
.ntly they found their voices. and the
Iir rang with strange sounds. Then
me after annthcr Of the crows flew
'ack TO the lillcd-up hole. and finding
I intact the Consideration and amaze
ncnt seemed 10 be Increased. Sud-
.cnly one reconneitering old crow
ave a yell that almost raised my hair
lie had found the gruund-hOg's new
nit IN the rear Of the knoll. The
rhole flock inspected it amid a babel
4 hot words. II was plain enough
hat the mystery was solved for them.
'retty Soun one after another Of the
rows circlcd about the grounding
nd theu alighted on the fence. eN-
ected Ia see the battle renewed and
he grounding rended limb from limb.
at the crows consulted on the fence
nd seemed very much crestfallen.
.fter while they rose as one bird
nd. with few faint caws, flew away
nd disappeared in the woods.
1.-The grounding had been too smart
Dr. them, and they as much as said so
hen they gave up the field to him. -
harrisburg fPG) Cor. ~ y Times.