The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-10-14
The Hornet
Of the Sea.
BY HARRY {. ANDREWS.
G <
A Thief Yves stopped In the Nick
of Time by q stingaree.


IL d SCfOtrs 1
mo coyote made that mark-it's q
greaserrlv And, lowering his lantern,
Fritz Krantz pointed to the broad
print made By a bare foot in the sand.
81 guess you're right said VIII, the
younger brother, while MILDLY. the set
ter, who had been barking f~uriously,
added, "I'm sure of it," with a sniff
and a wag and an eye f1ash.
The boys had been called out of bed
by Middy's noisy alarm and the loud
commotion anon the fowls in the cor
raj. They owned a chicken ranch In
southern California, neal the bay Of
San Diego.
Their invalid father had come with
his family from the eastern states a
few years before and started this little
industry. He did not live to see 1t pay
dividends, but he told his boys that IL
they would 'sstay with it, 1t would
support them and their mother, and
always remember" said he, shat the
Lord helps those who help them
selves"
The young fellows mastered the hen
problem. They bred those famous
mortgage lifters," white leghorns.
The boys broilers 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 at last,
with an expression of relief.
"Good dog, MILDLY! Good fellowp' ex-
claimed Fritz fondly, patting the set
ter. I'VE 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 drowsily their pair of
pet cockereIs. the pride of the coops
and the hope of the young ranchers.
do you think they are winners,
WHIP asked Fritz, as he cast a Ian
tern glow over the plump. contented
birds.
I'm sure of it." said VIII. "There
isn't a pair In the country that can be-
gin with them. Everybody say So"
The county fair was neal at hand,
and these young ROSTERS were candi-
dates for the special prize of $50 Of
fered by an enthusiastic fancier for the
best pair Of white leghorn cockerels.
"Mucho bee-utiful!' cried old Este
ban, the Mexican egg buyer, when he
came around a few weeks later. ''They
win sure. Ay, la b%lancura! Only one
pair come near them. They Manuel's,
cross the bay, but not so white, no"
They were beauties, every II could
see that. Yes, they were rare and al
most perfect specimens of their strain
and fully deserved old Esteban's eu-
logy.
One afternoon the boys had gone
back on the desert to hunt cottontail
rabbits, which tleir mother knew how
to fry so temptingly, and they were re-
turning with full bags, MILDLY t~rotting
along a few rods In advance.
AS they neared their home In the lit
tie settlement by the sea, where only a
few cottages stood. and those far
apart, MILDLY came rushing back as
fast as hi could gallop, barking like
mad and beside himself with excite
ment.
They O o ascertained what had ex-
cited the dog. There was a great hue
and cry in the poultry yards, and
of the pens had been broken
ssThat thicving greaser again, and in
broad daylight this timer
They hurriedly took a census Of their
stock.
None missing here" said Fritz.
mo, they count up all right" replied
VIII, "and there are both the prize
cockereIs over yonder."
Fritz paused a moment and turned
pale.
but what's the matter with themY'
he exclaimed, and both boys anxiously
rushed to the birds.
They're not our cockerels," cried
Will. "Sce those yellow ~feathers!n
"And the white In their faces!" said
Fritz. q see through the trick. That
greaser has snapped with us"
Hes taken to the beach. See Mid
dy! He knows. You go down by the
old road n I'll take the steps. Wen
catch him yeti"
The little colony sat on a bluff rising
almost perpendicuIarly from the beach.
There We're two paths to the sea, n
by an easily inclined road which
wound around the cliffs, and the other
by n long, steep flight Of steps that
scaled the face OF the bluff.
Fritz and MILDLY a~nxiously scanned
the heights and beat about the little
eucalyptus grove before scrampiinS
down the steps. but discovered nothing
to thcm. VIII, wko had
made the long detour OF the winding
road, arrived at the foot Of the stairs
almost as soon as they did, hot and
GREATNESS, but with no trace OF the
fugitive to report.
Il wonder what that craft Is aboutfs
asked Fritz. pointing to q fIsherbQaf,
lying to, 4 short distance down fho
coast.
| Ihey hurried 1oHn fho beach aI1d a<