The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-01-12
TALE OF A
WHITE CROW.
And Of -Four Boys and a So-Called
Crusty Old Uncle.
by MRS. J. d. BURTON.

"'Slow and sure is my motto"
'Slapdash-go-bang, hit-or-miss,' is
mine"
Nothing venture, nothing have, ex-
presses my sentiments on the present
occasion"
You would know, if you had ever
heard the boys, that the last precise
utterance came from gentleman Phil,
just you would know that the second
came from reckless Rick and the first,
from careful Rob.
The fourth member ofthe party said
nothing. He ran his eye along the
trunk Of the lightning-blasted tree up
to the fork where the crows u st clung.
1t was fully fifty feet from the ground,
and there was neither knob nor branch
along the tapering trunk, from which
every particIe of bark had fallen away
till it stood smooth and straight as a tel
egraph pole. The noble head had been
riven away, with the exception of that
one shattered branch, and a safer eyrie
than Mrs. Crow had chosen could hard
ly be found, yet these four boys had a
conspiracy already laid against the
peace OF her house.
Blood had been shed in its further
ance, for the sentinel crow had been
brought down from his lookout in a
neighboring oak, and lay dead at PhiPs
feet.
81 can do it with my slip noose," de-
clared Geordie, after his survey. 81
was sure could, wnen Rick and Rob
described the tree"
Up went Geordie, secure from any
slip or fall, moving the moose in short
bitches above him and ascending
steadily till his goal was reached.
There was a confusion of small heads
and Tapping wings in the nest as he
reached out for it, and three black
crows half tumbled and half flew into
the branches of a neighboring chest
nut.
"Ohr' cried the boys below, in dis
appointment, but Geordie waved the
empty nes; and dropped it down TO
them.
''Pve got one" he shouted.
81 see it, !" cried Bob. "He's tied it
in his handkerchief so it can't get
away"
"Now he's putting it in his cap and
slowing that in his shirt waist. It'll
be wonder if he doesn't smother it on
his way down.
"BOys, boysw cried Phil. "Here
come the old crowsr'
He half raised the fowling-piece that
had settled the sentinel, but Rick
knocked it down again with a-"Stow
that, Phil. They won't do him any
harm"
Geordie sat on the limb quite undis-
turbed by the flock that darkened the
air above him, circling, wheeling cav
ing, swooping till their wings nearly
brushed the intruder on their domain;
and he slipped from his perch and be-
gan his descent when he was quite
ready, without any of the nervous
thrills that were running over Phil.
"Bravo, young one, that was well
doner' cried Phil, as Geordie's feet
touched the ground. Lets see the
crow.n
Geordie fished out his cap, but held
it closed, his eyes shining with sup
pressed excitement.
'.Ten cents peep! It's worth it, as
you'll see"
'That a eroww cried Rick and Roh
together as he opened the cap to Their
view.
Phil gave an astonished whistle.
"You've distinguished yourself, Geor-
die. It's a white crow"
The boys wonder found vent in
many exclamations, but Rob turned
the current of their thoughts by ask
ing sOberly:
"Do you suppose Uncle Champe will
let us keep ii? He's so miserly that
he'll want to sell it, maybe, or have II
stuffed and put in his cabinet"
Rob's idea of the value of white
crow was very probably exaggerated,
but the boys faces fell at the thought
| OF Uncle Champe.
"He can't be so very miserly, " said
Pail, slowly, "or he wouldn't have paid
m ,tber's and fathers expense TO Eu-
rope and taken all four of us to live
with him while they are gone"
"He couldn't help himself very well,
declared Rick. "He was afraid father
wou,d die and leave all of MS OE bis
hands. He thought it would be better
to take us for the summer than 20 take
Us for life"
"But father wasn't in any danger o.
diving before he left he'd got ovel
th,tn reminded Rob. "He needed
oaIv The voyage to strengthen him VI
and comeplete his cure"
"What do you think about it Geor
] die?'' asked Phil
| "Tm going to keep the white crow,
answered Geordie, touching his cheei
AGAINST his new treasure.
The boys were not amiss in divinint
tsaat their presence in his home was
cross to their great-uncle Champe
sueh an influx OF boisterous life wa
1 -, a;soop,uosino 10 the studiOus ne