The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-07
LAUGHING FRIENDS.
-uev WE'RE GULLS AND WERE Ac-
o,IAlNrsO WITH THE PuRSER.

-, a. the deepest bass, then "A chorus of
ia cries that appeared to come from any
- everywhere, greatly astonishing
m,,Ie how that stood Oh the spray washed
aoct of an out bound steamer.
,It's the laughing gulls," said tho
...or who noticed his amazemont Then,
tollowipg the motion of his hand, The lit
.,o passenger glanced upward and saw the
go NJ all the noise. On the gilt ball
.sat surmounted the topmast of the roll
49,, steamer sat large white gull, sway
: Inc m and fro in its efforts to preserve Its
naIance On the foremost perched anoth-
chile the booms and other points Of
santiago were similarly occupied by gulls
of various oolors
" "Are they laughing at usS" asked the
XNo indeed" replid the good natured
,rrser 81 am not quite sure, but l
imagine that they are asking me to give
them their dinner.
"Wby, do they know your" said the boy.
"I should think so," said the officer.
awbv. they follow me from San Pedro to
tho island and back, 60 miles, every day
except Sunday.
won't they fly on Sundaysr" asked the
boy again. - a.. A.
steamer doesn't sail on Sunday now, but
avery other day they join me and fly along.
When they get tired, they alight on the
steamer. and they all seem to be very fond
If irving to balance themselves on the
masthead. You see, 1t Is very slippery,
and when the boat Is rolling about they
have to work very hard, especially Jack,
> who has but one leg.
"I wish could see him., said the little
boy, who was greatly interested In the
birds.
"That's a very easy matter" responded
the officer. $50 into the cabin where the
birds can't sec you and will have Jack
down here in no time.
The boy moved into the cabin, where
the other passengers had gone to escape
wind and spray, while the purser stepped
to the side of the steamer.
eli. there, .Iackl" he shouted, swapping
his fingers over the rail and thrusting his
other hand into the pocket of his pea
jacket
The gull on the gold ball slid off, while
a fiuttering cloud of white wings present.
ing striking contrast to the blue water,
appeared as If by magic at the stern and
over the deck, all laughing loudly in their
way.
As the purser held up his hand down
swooped large and beautiful gull, and
lowered In the air not seven feet above the |
deck, just over him, turning its head this |
way and that in eager expectation. 1t |
= was not disappointed, for the officer tossed /
? a bit of meat into the air, which the gull |
Geftly caught.
"That's Jack, the purser called to the |
little boy who was peeping out of the open
window
Jack had been shot and one of his legs {
was gone, while the other leg, which had I
probably been wounded, hung directly |
:, down, as though he were holding it out TO /
y shake hands
THAT big brown fellow Is old Tom"
said the officer. He rarely misses trim.
and the one chasing the other call Smok-
er because he once picked up cigar that
some one threw over, but he very soon
found out his mistake. / call them nv
laughing travellers, " continued the purser.
tossing some meat into the air, which the |
Drds caught, because they travel with
me all day, and are always laughing.
whether 1t is really laughing l don't
Know, added the officer when thew are
Standing on shore, they bow their heads so
that the bill almost touches the ground
then they raise it high in the air, and lust
then comes the ha, hal Now, what would
you sayg"
Why, should think they were laugh.
!ng at something among themselves, " was
the reply
anyway, continued the purser, "they
nave good deal to laugh about, as every
uay Drlng them some bread and meat.
me-" ~
)the little boy ~ ''A'u
ala once" was the reply.
dayf'' '''' ''e ''iiie 'ua'
an, ,nlnK they did, said the officer.
b., An9n l thlnk they are very cheerful
olrds, said the boy.
an 90 Iney are" laughed the purser.
hana - ION, he called holding up his
~, "hereupon gull approached with I
NV o"oor three feet of IL and caught tho {
IT, VI meat he tossed, while the other
oirus came lowering about.
fri - 'ne ilttle passenger it was a wonder
stoon s'en'' as, despite the fact that the
boran', was moving rapidly, the birds
"O'ered overhead without moving wing
Tho plnion' seemingly carried along with I
b,n ' ~, ol The gulls left the steamer at the I
noS. 'sidnu and did not return until tho | I
nrant uay, and many were the tricks and ,
tho roi,t mat they played upon the seals. =
err, ps'ioans and the fishermen. II n fish.
tb ,u"n u. eit fish exposed for n moment 1
bv !, " 0., alight on tho beach and walk .
rrosr Wv" !. very innocent air, then. finally
s rcs 81. u directly from under the mans =
pnrs "nu ny away with a resoundinp langb q
'Or the prize. ''' GUNS struggling i
and ,. Ieals were great pests, diving down !,
gilled i in out the fish as they became b
thar sa ~ tIe nets but they had one babit r
vap,e"o '' tne laughing travellers nm adj.
.lre win Inc seals would combine ploos.
] f.. S, IN. work, and when they had p taLen
the I III, Out OF the net they would toss ~ o.
this t0 O''ching 1t like ball. It was at p
Tom o"e = that the gulls, pcrhaps .Inct a
1t, and ,r smoker, would dart in and seize u
away w m,'l chorus of cries 90 dying "
One" an inc twice stolen fish. U
bleak roa year tho gulls made n visit IN n G.
A