Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1899-09-21
4 oarne with ti,e Gnlls.


 Jack was paying his first visit to California, and his eyes were wide open for new and interesting sights. He had just left the ear ill which he and his father and mother had been travelling for five long days across the continent, and now they were all on the great ferry boat, crossing the bay from Oakland to San Francisco.
 The first thing that attracted Jacks attention was a beautiful gray and white bird, which was flying close be- side the boat, turning it's head from side to side, and watching Jack with it's bright eyes, without sign of fear Then as he looked about he saw dozens more of the birds, some, like the first, of the softest gray and white, some Of a dark, mottled, brownish color, and all either following steadily beside the boat, or flying in circles around the stern
 "0h, papa, what are they2a he asked in great excitement.
 They are sea guils, his father an- sWered. No one is allowed to shoot them here, and so they are very tame, and they always follow the ferry=boats back and forth in hopes of getting something to eat. When any pieces of food are thrown out from the restaur- ant on the lower deck. you will see that they are on the lookout for it.
 Surely enough, in few minutes Jack saw something thrown over the side of the boat from the lower deck, and at the same instant great scream ing and futtering began among the gulls They seemed to be all at once right ever the spot where the food fell, sweeping down into the water, diving, swimming, reaching and seizing pieces wherever they could \ minute more and the excitement was over; all the food had been picked up by those who were quickest among them, and the lucky ones were busy eating what they had found, while the rest were already following the boat again. watching for another chance.
 Why couldn't l feed them. papa ?" asked Jack. suddenly remembering bag of crackers which he had been cat- rying.
 You can his father replied, sonly you'd better let me throw the crackers for you, so they will go farther and you can see them better. ?
 Jack willingly handed the bag 10 father, who threw piece Of cracker out into the water. Most of the gufls saw it the instant it was thrown, and all flew after it at once, screaming and in their eagerness 10 get ahead of each other. Of course only one could get it, and that one was in q great hurry to swallow the large before any other could get t away from him. In moment he was up again with the rest. watching Jack and his father this time. for they all seemed 10 know now where the crack CTS came from.
 When the next cracker was thrown hey all tried to catch it before it fell T the water One little ahead of the est caught up with 1t in time, dropped lis legs to balance himself in the air, stretched out his neck, snapped at just he right moment, and caught a piece )f cracker in his beak-then a gulp, md it was gone, and NIT. Gull was fly ng quietly along again, looking for the lext mOuthful.
 Jack clapped his hands in delight. This was like a game of ball, and the yullsN made very good catehers His ather threw the crackers. one after mother, and each time the gulls tried 0 catch the piece in the air Once in while there was no one of them Iulek enough, and they would all have 0 drop after it to the water, but only few crackers from the bag had 8 nance to fall SO far. Sometimes gull would get in line with the racker, go through this funny per ormance of dropping his legs and tretching out his neck. and snap nly to fad that he had not measured he distance well. and the cracker was 1ut of his reach. By the time Jacks )ag of crackers was all gone some one .lse had brought piece of bread, which he threw bit by bit to the gulls, whose game of ball was amusing al- most all the people on that end of the loat The glllls were always ready, ind still watched for more when the ast piece had been thrown.
 By that time the boat had almost cached San Francesca. and Jack had Q leave his gulls, although he would lave been glad to watch them as long IS they were hungry. He played the ,ame sort of game with them a good many times after that. when he went pack and forth on the ferry-boat and both he and the gulls always enjoyed