Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-10-14
HAD FINE FOURTH OF July.
Betty and Charley Did, Although
There Was No Bounty on
= 800 Hawks. e

4, On July Charles Mink and his wife,
who live on a backwoods farm five
miles from Lumberton, in the Pine
,Creey region Of New York, went to
spend the day with relatives at Ham
mersley's Forks, leaving their two old
est children, Charley, aged 12, and
Betty, aged IA, at home to take care Of
the house. Toward noon Betty was
.peeling potatoes for their dinner, when
Charley, who had been hocing in the
garden, came running into the house.
"Betty!" he cried. There's big
hawk in the barnyard after the chick
|ens!"
Their father kest his shotgun in a
Icloset Off the kitchen, and Betty ran
land got it, and the two children hur-
fried to the barnyard to kill the hawk
land save the chickens if they could.
When Betty and Charley got there the
ibig bird had chicken in its taons
land 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 maraudcr tumbljng
to the ground.
Betty dropped her gun and she and
her brother ran to where the hawk was
,futtcring and sprawlng about, unable
Ito rise. The first thought Of the two
|children was the rcscuing of the chick
len, which was still alive in the tight
GRASP of its captor and squawl.ing lus-
Stily. The attempt of Betty and Char
Hey to get the chicken was met with a
furious attack on them by the wound
cd hawk. The boy was knocked fiat
by one blow Of the birds sound wing.
Then the two children got stout
Sclubs and pitched into the wounded
chicken stealcr, which had released the
:chickcn by this time, the chicken scam
|pering back to the barnyard with
tout a seconds delay, but lacking
great many Of its feathers. The saw
iage bird fought desperately, using its
!strong, sound wing, and lcaping 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
|chi!dren, excited and almost breathlcss
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,
land, 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
Ity they thought they were entitled to
for making away with the feathcred
chicken thief. Squire Smiley was in,
and when Betty told him what their err
rand was, and he saw the immense bird
they carried, and heard how they had
killed it, he was spcechlcss. When he
recovered from his surprise he told the
(children to sit down. Then he said to
Betty:
II am sorry, Sissy, but the law
hasn't placed any bounty on this bird;
mot even so cents.''
''Why!" said Betty, the tears gather
ling in her eyes, pop got so cents for
the hawk he killed, and it wasn't half
as big as this onc!"
But" said the squire, this isn't
hawk. This is an eagle"
The knowledge that they had fought
iNIln ana 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
squircs to trudge back the weary five
miles homeward.
wait a 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 five-dollar gold
piece in Betty's hands, and the chill
drcn were SO overjoyed that they start
cd homeward on 4 run.
The eagle they had conquered and
horne all the way to I,umberton meas
urcd over seven feet from tip to tip of
its wings, and Betty and Charlie had
a great Fourth Of July.-N. Y. Sun.
NOTICES SLIGHTLY MIXED.