Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-01-02
SPARROW AGAINST CAT.
How Little Creature Was saved from
Avarlcious Mews.

Avarlcious Mews.
was sitting at my desk one morning
cot long ago when my attention was sud
denly arrested by the loud screaming of a
sparrow proceeding from the yard of an
unoccupied house to the rerr of mine The
cries We're responded to by at least fifty of
her companions, who answered her call by
such prodigious chatter that the whole
neighborhOod was aroused. The cause OF
this disturbance was this: One of the Gel
lar windows was protected by "A wire graf
ing, which in some way had become loose
at the top; through this opening, in a
moment Of recklessness. had fallen a
young sparrow while taking its first les
sons in learning how to fly.
Now this yard, the house being empty,
has all summer long been the rendezvous
for several large cats. When the sparrow
Ieil into the window he found glass shut
ter behind him, and was thus Il prisoner
Two OF the cats saw his iiutterings to get
out and at once made fierce rush for the
window grating, aud although they fright
eIed almost to death young Mr. Sparrow,
who had never seen the wicked eyes and
spiteful teeth of a cat before in his Ike,
they could not get at him with their wick
ed claws. But his danger Was very real
to the mother bird, and ii was her cry of
distress that brought her feathcred friends
10 her help and rescue. And how did they
set about II, do you think,
Veal know tnar he sparrow-the feath,
cred street arabs not only an impudent
little fellow, but exceedingly pugilistic
ana courageous. Upon this occasion two
large male sparrows at once alighted upon
the yard pavement, and not more than
three feet away from the cats, who were
still intent upon the fiuttering youngster
behind the window grating. Then the
mother bird tiuttered in the air lust over
the cats, screaming and scolding and being
answered vehemently by all her friends
The two sparrows on the pavement kept
hopping about dangerously near to the
cats, chlrping and scolding also. Their
little game OF course was to distract tue
cats attention from the young birds, and
this they succeeded in doing so well thai
the cats alternately chased them and tnen
attacked the bird behind the bars
This performance was continued off and
on for two whole days, the cats giving up
the contest from time to time When the
cat is away, the mice will play" the old
saying goes. In this case. when the cats
were away, the mother bird flew in behind
the grating and fed her offspring. and also
gave him lessons in flying until the young
bird could fly high enough to reach the
opening be had originally fallen through,
and then assisted by the parent birds he
managed to reach vine that trailed from
the fence to he extension windows. and SO
he was saved
Don't give up the ship were the dying
words OF the immortal Lawrence on board
OF the Chesapeake Don't give up the
bird was the motto Of Mr. and Mrs. Spar
row, ami right gailantly did they wage
their battle for their offspring. Next time
that youngster goes flying he must beware
OF cats, and not fall down behind cellar
windows without his parents permission
Harry p. Mawson in Harper's Youn-
People.