The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-08-17
HAD FINE FOURTH OF JULY.
Betty ana Charley Did. Although
There Was No bounty ON
Hawks.

On July 4 Charles Mink and his wife,
who live on backwoods farm five
miles from Lumberton, in the Pine
Creey region of New York, went to
spend the day with relatives at Ham
nersley's Forks, leaving their two old
est children. Charley, aged IL, and
Betty. aged II. at home to take care OF
the house. Toward noon Betty was
peeling potatoes for their dinner, when
Charley, who had been boeing in the
garden, came running into the house.
"Betty!" he cried. There's big
hawk in the barnyard after the chick
ens!"
Their father kept his shotgun in a
closet off the kitchen, and Betty ran
and got it, and the two children hur-
ried to the barnyard to kill the hawk
and save the chickens If they could.
When Betty and Charley got there the
big bird had chicken in its talons
and had risen with it in the air more
than so feet. Betty raised the gun,
heavy as it was, and fired. The charge
took effect in one of the birds wings,
disabling that important member and
bringing the bold marauder tumbling
to the ground.
Betty dropped her gun and she and
her brother ran to where the hawk was
fluttering and sprawling about, unable
to rise. The first thought of the two
children was the rescuing of the chick
en-, which was still alive in the tight
grasp of its captor, and squawhng lus-
tily. The attempt of Betty and Char
ley to get the chicken was met with
furious attack on them by the wound
ed hawk. The boy was knocked fiat
by one blow of the birds sound wing.
Then the two children got stout
clubs and pitched into the wounded
chicken stealer, which had released the
chicken by this time, the chicken scam
pering back to the barnyard with
out a seconds delay, but lacking
great many of its feathers. The saw
age bird fought desperately, using its
strong, sound wing, and leaping against
its assailants in efforts to fasten its
great talons upon them, but several
well-delivered blows on the head with
their clubs finally killed it, and the two
children, excited and almost breathless
from their efforts, carried the big
trophy of their prowess TO the house.
After they had eaten their dinner
they tied the great birds feet securely
together, flung them over stout pole,
and, with one end of the pole on Bet
tvs shoulder and the other on Char
ley's, the two children walked all the
way to Lumberton through the dust
and hot sun to collect th65O cents boun-
ty they thought they were entitled to
for making away with the feathered
chicken thief. Squire Smiley was in,
and when Betty told him what their err
rand was, and be saw tbs immense bird
they carried, and heard how they had
killed it, he was speechless. When he
recovered from his surprise he told the
children to sit down. Then he said to
Betty:
IL am sorry, Sissy, but the law.
hasn't placed any bounty on this bird;
not even so cents
"Why!" said Betty, the tears gather
ing in her eyes, "pop got so cents for
the hawk he killed, and it wasn't half
as big as this one!"
"But," said the squire, "this isn't
hawk. This is an eagle"
The knowledge that they had fought
with and overcome an eagle was not
reward sufficient to overcome the
disappointment they felt in not being
entitled to the expected bounty, and
both Betty and Charley burst into
tears, as they took up the burden of
the great bird and started to leave the
squire's to trudge back the weary five
miles homeward.
"Wait moment, children" said the
squire. There's no bounty on such a
bird as this, nor on hawks, either, now.
But You just take this and leave the big
bird with me-"
The squire placed a five-dollar gold
piece in Betty's hands, and the chill
dren were so overjoyed that they start
ed homeward on q run.
The eagle they had conquered and
borne all the way to Lumberton meas
ured over seven feet from tip to tip OF
it's wings, and Betty and Charlie had
q great Fourth of July.-N. Y. Sun.