The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-09-27
. The HorDet
. Of the Sea.
BY HARRY t. ANDREWS.
~~s~ -
A Thief Was stopped In the Nick
OF Time by n Stingaroo.
BY HARRY {. ANDREWS.


"I's n coyotc!'
mo coyote made that mark-lt's
greascrt' And, lowering his lantern,
Fritz krantz pointed to the broad
print mado by n bnre foot In the sand.
81 guess you're right" said VIII, the
younger brother, while MILDLY, the set.
ter, who had been barking furlously.
added, I'm sure of IT." with n sniff
and wug and IN eye flash.
The boys had been called out OF bed
by Mlddy's noisy alarm and the loud
connection among the fowls In the cor
raj. They owned chicken ranch In
southern California, near the bay Of
San Diego.
Their invalid father had come with
his family from the eastern states II
few years before and started this little
industry. He did not live to see II pay
dividends, but he told his boys that II
they would "stay with IT. 1t would
support them and their mother, and
always remember" said he, that tho
Lord helps those who help them
selves"
The young fellows mastered the hen
problem. They bred those famous
mortgage llfters," white leghorns.
The boys brolers were the first In the
market, their layers had scientific care
and did business when others didn't,
and their Income from their enterprise
was growing every year.
Hes got nothing" said VIII mt last,
with nm expression of relief.
Good dog, Middyl Good felloww OK
clnimcd Fr,tz fondiy, patt,ng the set.
ter. 1--WE can go TO bed all right with
you on guard"
But before going In, they could not
help giving another look at the roost
where perched drowslly their pair Of
pet eoctercls, the pride of the coops
and the hope of the young ranchers.
"Do you think they are winners,
WHIP asked Fritz. MS he cast n lam
tern glow over the plump, contcntcd
birds.
I'm sure Of IT," said WIN. "rhere
isn't pair IN the country TINT can be-
gin with them. Everybody says 80"
and these young ROSTERS were cnndi.
dntcs for the special prize of $50 Of
fcrcd by mn enthusiastic faneler for tho
best pair OF white lcghorn coclSercls.
"Mucho bcc-utifulP cried old Este
ban. the Mexican egg buyer, when he
came around few weeks later. "They
win sure. Ay, III blancurnl Only one
pair come near them. They MnnucPs,
cross the bay, but not SO white, mol"
They were beauties, every one could
see that, Yes, they were rare and al
most perfect specimens Of their strain
and fully deserved old Estcban's Gu
logy.
one afternoon the boys Ind gone
hnct on the desert TO hunt cottontail
rabbits, which their mother knew how
10 fry SO tcmptlngly, and they were re-
turning with full bngs. MILDLY trottlng
along few rods In advance.
AS they ncared their homo in the lit
tie settlement by the sea, where only
few cottages stood, and those far
apart, MILDLY came rushing back rs
fast MS he could gallop, barking liko
mad and beside himself with excite
mcnt.
They soon asccrtalned what had ex-
cited the dog. There was n great hue
and cry In the poultry yards, and one
of the pens had been broken.
"That tlIleylng greaser again, and In
broad daylight this timer
They hurrlcdly took census Of their
stock
"Nonc missing here" said Fritz.
"No. they count up all right" replied
VIII, "nnd there are both the prize
cockcrels over yondcr"
Fritz paused moment aud turned
pale.
"But what's the matter with thcmW
he exclaimed, and both boys anxlously
rushed TO the birds.
"Theyrc not our cockercls." cried
VIII. "See those yellow fcathersw
"And the white in their faccsl" said
Fritz 81 see through the trick. That
grcnser has snapped with us"
Hes taken to the beach. See Mid
dy! lie knows You go down by the
old road and I'll take the steps. Wen
catch him yetW
The little colony sat on bluff rising
almost perpcndieularly from the beach.
There were two paths TO the sea, one
by nm easily inclined road which
wound around the cliffs. and the other
by long, steep flight Of steps that
scaled the fnce of the bluff.
Fritz AMI MILDLY anxlously scanned
the heights and beat about the little
eucalyptus grove before scrambling
down the steps, but discovered nothing
to encourage them. VIII, who had
made the long detour of the winding
road, arrived ut the foot Of the stairs
almost as soon as they did, hot and
breathless, but with no trace of the
fugitive to report.
II wonder what that craft Is aboutT
asked Fritz, pointing to flsherboat,
lying to, short distance down the
coast
They hurried down the beach and at
the same time the little craft holsted
rag of sail and made toward them.
She was almost opposite when MILDLY.
who had been jumping around like