The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-12-03

built nest IN it once, and srs family
has kept policeman here eTer SINCE"
replied the crow with an air that said as
plain as plain could be, ''that settles it, :"
and Mr.. Fassetts knowledge Of the law
assured him that 1t did settle 1t.
The two crows were silent for time.
Fassett's thoughts reverted to his inter-
view with the builder and he had just
begun to wonder whether he would ever
sell those lots when his companion told
him he mustn't be lettering there; but
move ON. So Fassett moved on. Spread
ing his wings he was surprised to find
how easily he sailed through the air.
Passing over the corn field he recognized
his hired man and flew toward him; but
his hired man let fly a charge of bird
shot. which whistled Last Mr.. Fassett
and assured him that his hired man
made up in vigilance for what he lacked
in craftsmanship.
Taking flight again, Fassctt went in
the direction of a large tree in the for
est, where he expected to alight; but
just as he reached it whole flock of
crows flew at him from the branches,
croaIing, "Scab! scab! scabl''
Not understanding what this meant,
Fassett continued in his course, when
the crows rushed Upon him, and but for
the timely interference of two other
crows policemen as he afterward learn:
ed, Mr.. Fassett would have been deniid=
ed of every feather on his body. AS 1t
was, he nearly lost the use of one eye.
But he had the satisfaction of seeing
the ringleaders of his assailants taken
before magistrate a half-demented
old crow, who administered severe pull.
ishment, after lecturing the offenders
on the freedom of labor and the Grimm
atty, not to say heartlessness, of pre-
venting any crow from working for
living.
All this seemed very strange to Mr..
Fassett, who was not yet familiar with
crow usages, but he subsequently learn.
ed that the tree toward shich he was
going was great mandatory of crow
nest materials, and the crows that work.
ed there were on strike. They mistook
him for scab, and hence the trouble.
BY this time Fassett was quite hun.
cry, and curiously enough his appetite
suggested worms as a tempting bill OF
| fare. So he flew down to corn field,
and was scratching away, when flock
of strange crows ordered him off,
'But l am hungry" said Mr.. Fas.
sctt.
mo doubt of it," said the leader Of
the crows; "but why don't you work for
| living like an honest crow"
"Do crows work for a living?"
''Of course they do. How do you sup.
pose they get living?"
Mr.. Fassett thought good many OF
them got a living by stealing his seed
corn, but remembering that he was a
crow himself he didn't say so. He only
asked what they worked at.
Some of them make up nest materi-
ais, some gather the materials, some
collect corn, some build nests, some
guard the trees that belong to absent
crows, and some guard worm preserves,
replied the crow boss. "If you are real.
ly an honest crow" he continued, land
want to make living, you can join my
flock and I'll give you job"
What's the pay?" asked Mr.. Fassett
falling in with the humor of this con.
ceit.
"a worm three times day and place
to roost"
MIR. Fassett accepted the job, and
found that the principal duties of the
flock were to guard the worm preserves
of his boss from the invasions of other
crows. He was required in addition to
gather worms for the boss meals, and
whenever he found grain of corn or
other non-perishable food to carry it to
the boss warehouse in the trunk of
large tree in the forest. He came near
getting into serious trouble once with
the crow authorities by eating grain
OF corn that he found; but the boss re.
Trained from making complaint on ac-
count of Mr. Fassctt's ignorance of crow
law.
At night Mr.. Fassett roasted with the
rest of the flock on the limb of tree, in
which the boss and his family had
comfortable nest. Fassett found that
the crow he worked for was not the
worst of birds; but he got tired of three
worms day and nothing but the limb of
tree to roost on, in return for hard
work, and one day he told the boss that
he was going to leave and look after
himself.
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