The record-union., 1899-07-16


said Drusilla
as he promenaded about, picking up
flakes OF mica or glistening pebbles or
broken pieces Of crockery
At this point Miss Elviry returned
and explained that in the spring, when
the young corn was just sprouting and
showing a tiny green blade above the
soil, the crows did good deal of DAM
age. They'd leave one of their num-
Der watching in the top of one of the
tall pines and the rest would fly down
into the cornfield and pull up the
young corn, row by row, to get at the
grains still clinging to the tender
roots. No one could approach near
enough to shoot them, for the sentinel
in the pine top would send the alarm
the moment a human being ap-
peared in sight, and away all the
crows would fly, to return promptly
when the way was clear.
One day, however, Miss Elviry heard
a great clamor of crows in the corn
field, such hubbub, indeed, that it at
tracted her attention She went into
the field, and there she saw the crows
fluttering and flying about like mad
At first she thought they had attacked
an owl or hawk, but as she went
nearer they all flew away but two
One of these was making tremendous
efforts to fly, but the other lying on
his back, was holding him.
What in the world says I to my
SELF" remarked Miss Elviry. "I went
n Whara thpy
Cawky holding the other crow by the
feet. The toes of the two was SO tam
gled that twas as much as I could do
to ontangle 'em. That put the idea in
my head that maybe Cawky would
make a good crow-trap So brother
fixed up couple of straps WI pegs at
the ends, an we took Cawky out in the
field, laid him on his back in a corn
row, put the straps across his body and
pushed the pegs in the ground to hold
him. Of all the squallin' and jabberin'
you've ever heard! Cawky made more
fuss in one minnit than a flock of
crows made in a week The crows
fairly swarmed down on him in little
or no time, an I run back for fear
they'd kill him; but he wasn't hurt,
oil lie Ildu ctIlOlIlGI CROW! AlOIlS dt
first Cawky didn't like it, but he's got
so now that when he hears crows about
he'll come a-fyin' an a-rushin' an
make the biggest kind of a fuss tell
we git out his harness-we call it his
harness-an' fasten him down in the
field. I reckon they've got some sign
of distress like the FreemasOns, for
just as soon as he starts up his holler-
in all the crows in the Settlementli Il
come flynn an try to git him loose.
Again Miss Elviry went to attend to
her household duties, leaving the chill
dren with Cawky, who, while she was
brass buttons from Buster Johns s
jacket He succeeded in getting one,
and with this in his beak he ran
around and around, with his wings
half spread and uttering loud cries of
triumph. Then he ran under the house
and hid it. He found the old house
cat under there watching a mouse
hole, and he ran her out and pursued
her about until Miss Elviry had to
take her broom to him.
1t was great fun for the children.
and Cawly seemed to enjoy it, too,
But he subsided when Miss Elvi-y
brought out the broom, and went stalk
ing back to the children as solemnly
as an old-time preacher.
why do you like to catch your cous-
ins?" asked Buster John.
"Cackity. Because-ek they are my
cousins, ek-ek!"
Maybe you've already caught some
of your brothers and sisters" said
Sweetest Susan, using what Buster
John called her Sunday school voice.
'Ek! I hope so! 1 want to catch
my daddy and my nanny. Cackity.
Didn't they push me from the nest and
leave me on the ground in the rain
and cold? Elk! I remember! And
when I went back among them, didn't
they drive me away? Cackity, They
said I smelt like a man. I've paid 'erl
well. and I'll pay 'em better Ek-el-
ek,'
In the distance Buster John saw a
chicken hawk circling around.
''Get under the house, Cawky; yon-
der comes a hawk
"Ek-cackity! A hawk" He rose in
the air and flew to the top of a neigh
boring pine and sat there swinging.
The hawk came nearer and nearer,
circling on motionless pinions, a pic
ture of wild beauty.
Suddenly Cawky rose in the air and
began to circle, too.
"Kerray-kerree." This was the war
cry of Cawky's brethren. Twice or
thrice repeated at intervals it meant
a hawk. Repeated a dozen times with
no interval it meant that an owl had
been discovered asleep in the woods
The hawk made a lusty effort to es-
cape, and would have succeeded if
Cawky had been without allies, but in
every direction crows were seen rising
in the air-some ahead of the hawk,
some behind her, and some on each
side. Rising and circling, she suddenly
swooped and struck at Cawky, but
missed him by hairs breadth as size
same down with a rush and a swish.
It was fierce but foolish move. Be-
fore the hawk could recover herself
the whole colony of crows was upon
her, and they began a battle royal,
which could have but one result
The hawk was fierce and desperate,
her talons were sharp and her beak
was strong. The crows had no talons,
but their beaks were numerous More
than one was compelled to fly heavily
away as the result of a moments con-
tact with the hawk, but finally the
boldest among them found a place on
the hawks back out of reach of beak
and talons, and bore her slowly to
earth, where, in the course of few
moments, she was killed outright.
The children ran forward as hard as
they could when they saw the hawk
60 hut she daad when they