The morning call., 1892-12-28

their weakness and the danger to which
1t exposes them, and they are slow to take
flight.
But the sailors begin to shout. beating the
thwaris with the tholeS, and the frightened
birds launch themselves into the air, one by
one. falling almost TO the edge of the water.
Then Tapping their wings with vigorous
strokes. they fly away and reach the 0ffing
unless shower of lead hurls them into the
sea.
For an hour the birds are shot In this
way, forced, one after the other, TO leave
their rock. Now and then female on the
nest, bent on matching, will not fy away
and receives shot after. shot that makes
drops OF red blood squirt all over the white
cliff, so that the bird dies without quittin e
her eggs.
The first day NJ. d'Arnelles- shot with
his usual success, but when the party were
on the way home, about 10 O'Clock, under
the bright sun that threw great triangles of
light on the white slopes of the coast. he
seemed Ill at ease, and at times fell into a
reverie. contrary TO his habit Afterward.
when they got home, nan Ia black, who
seemed a kind of servant. came and whis-
pered to him. he appeared to reflect, hesi-
tated and then answered:
mo. Tomorrow"
And the hunt began again. This time NJ.
d'Arnelles often missed his birds, even
when they fell almost at the muZzle OF his
gun and his laughing friends asked him il
ne was In love OF IL some secret trouble
was worrying him.
At:last he acknowledged it.
1.-The fact is" said he. Il am obliged to
leave you soon, and that is vexing me-"
What. Going away! Why?"
"Oh, business matter calls me away, and
lcan't stay much longer" Then they spoke
Of other things.
When dinner was over the servant in black
appear again. NJ. d'Arnelles told him to
harness up the horses. He was about to 90
out when the other three hunters interpose led,
demonstrating and begging their friend to
stay. Finally one of them said:
''Come now! That matter can't really be
SO important, since you nave already stayed
with US two days"
The hunter, overcome by perpexity, de-
liberated, plainly at loss, hating between
pleasure and duty, unhappy and troubled
After long meditation he murmured:
ut isl 1t is! am not alone here-I have
my son-in-law with me-"
Cries and exclamations followed this.
Your son-in-law! Why, where is he p"
The hunter suddenly became confused,
and Redeemed.
What! Didn'tyou know2 Why-why-
be is on the shelf-he is dead"
The silence OF stupefaction fell on the
hunters.
NJ. dArnelles continued. more and more
troubled:
II had the had luck to lose him. and as l
was taking his body home to Briseville l
took roundabout way SO as not to fail you
at the rendezvous But you see it will not
do for me TO wait any longer"
Then one of the hunters, more audacous
than the rest, spoke I'D.
Nevertheless, since he is dead, Ii seems
to me that lie can wait day or two more"
The others hesitated no longer. "That is
certainly the way to look at it," they in
sisted.
NJ dArnelles seemed relieved of a great
burden, but he was little troubled still and
asked:
Frankly, do you all think SOP"
The three others, as a single, replied:
why, my dear fellow. two days more or
less will make not the least difference to
him in his situation"
Completely reassured, the father-in-law
turned to the undertaken
w ell, my friend, we will postpone that
till the day after tom ow."-Translated
from the French of Guy de Maupassant.