The Butler weekly times., 1897-12-23

not hear the rush of the day freight
that was coming down grade through
the cut and by the meadow.
But the warlike Finn-ma cool
heard it and took it, as he took al.
most anything, as challenge. As
the big "mogul'' engine roared
through the cut, the gander lifted
his head, and with q scream of rage
few straight over the low fence at
the train, followed by the entire
flock.
Big Ben, the six foot engineer of
the day freight, said afterward that
it was one of the most trying ex-
periences that he had ever had. The
train was going at high speed, aud
the big birds came banging agains.
cab and pilot like bombarment.
breaking the glass on both sides aid
fairly spattering the whole front OF
the engine with bits of goose fesh
and feathers.
As the train went Oh, the f. eman,
recovering from the first alarm,
looked back and burst into lauo ohter
at the grotesque demonstrations OF
grief and rage of the little Irish lad
by the side of the track.
Some hours later, as the big en-
gine elid into the freight-yard at the
end OF the run and stopped, the
switch tender held up his hands il
amazement. "Millia.murther, Big
Benz" he exclaimed. "Look at the
feathers on your engine, man! Die
ye kill a feather bed or run over
flock of angels, or what is it,"
"See here, Donovan" growled Big
Ben, good naturedly, you're nc
real Irishman, you that came from
the north and don't know a Kerr,
snow.storm when you see ii! l
hadn't had time to melt off the en-
gine yet"
And SO with jest and laughter tn
story Of the slaughter of Mrs. Mul
crary's misguided geese went tn
rounds of the trainmen, and wa
presently forgotten.
Poor Patsy! Not single bird o
the flock remained alive, and eve
the bodies of most of them coult
not be found. His grief aud d'sma
were great, and when his mothe
came home she found him lying fac
downward on the floor, sobbing a
if his heart would break, while tn
wayward pig wandered at his ow
sweet will about the garden, n
strained by some mystery OF prov
dence from going through the fene
like most railroad fence
: was not "pig-tight"-on the trae
to meet the death of Finn ma-coo
! With much petting and many so
! voiced "acushlas" and "mavou
neene," the widow drew from Pats
the story of the days disaster, ar
= how it was the day-freight that ha
= done the evil deed. Indignatit
>. mingled with her sorrow, and whs
- - Patsy told of the jeering Taught
:, of the fireman it reused all the Ce
. in her blood, and she called dow
. voluble disaster on Big Ben and /
fireman.
: Thus it was that as the train ros
= ed out of the cut next day the ty
o were much amused to seq standi1
. by the track buxom and defia
widow, who shook her plump E
, and hurled after them q torrent
, denunciation in the purest Err
Neither could have understood this
, they could have heard, aud Big B
:, was too busy with his engine to gi
- more than parting glance, but t
fireman leaned over with a malicio
=, grin and shouted in his ear:
- "See here, Ben, I think this
getting serious. The widow is We
ing her hand at you." And Big B.
who was at once the bravest a
- shyest man on the road. blushed r
!. under the CRIME Of the cinders.
~ With no geese to eat or to 81
Thanksgiving day was bare and {
At the Mulcrarys: but they had I