Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-03-29

HEY WE'RE oUtLS AND WE'RE AC-
QUAiNTsD WITH THE PURSeR.

they had Noises 60 which Each Answered
when CaIIed-Bovering over the Vessel
to Ne Fed--No Wonder the Passenger
Was Interested.
The air was filed with strange laughter
--" Ha bs i' in very high notes "ha ha
ha r. In tho deepest bass, then chorus of
wild cries that appeared to come from any
where, every where, greatly astonishing a
little boy that stood on the spray washed
deck of IN out bound steamer.
IT'S the laughing gulls" said the
purser, who noticed his amezement. Then,
following the motion Of his hand, the lit
tie passenger glanced upward and saw The
cause Of all the noise On the gilt ball
that surmounted the topmast Of the roll
ing steamer sat a large white gull, sway
ing to and fro in its efforts to preserve its
balance Ga the foremost uetohei .hoth-
81 -aile the bDuDs and other Isl, NJ
vhnia.so ~tro similarly Opoupied ~ guis
OF ye~ous on,aTs
= 20 ohcs laughing at usi" asked t1e
boy
3D. No .oa~.a reqid the good natured
pr5ser "a an not quito sure but
aa.re that 'hey ero rsStlg re 70 give
sa.s their r. ye
'srt. ..e f.. .. eer2' 7,!d th3 f,v
.a..e. -... lc. .lil Ine az --
WIZ neY ,.'.v mo fa,0 san Po.fo
t.n sand ans back. 80 W.cs. every &c.
oNccit sunday
Won't they fly on Spudays:' asked She
boy sgsin.
oh, yes, was the ~opy, but ne
steamer doesn't sail % ea. lay COW. oet
every other day To y join mo - aye' r~.
When they get tired they aIight on t'I1
steamer, and they all seem TO be very fond
Of trying to balance themselves On the
masthead. You see it is very slippery.
and when the boat is rolling about theT
have tn work very hard, especially JaoE.
who has but ono leg. "
II wish could STE him, " sn'd The Little
boy, who was greatly interested IN thu
birds
That's a very easy matter, responded
che officer GO into the cabin where he
birds can't see you and will have Jack
down here IN NJ time.
The boy moved into the cabin. whore
the other passengers had gone to escape
wind and spray, while the purser stepped
to tbs side of the steamer.
l,
his fingers over the rail and thrusting bis
other hand into the pocket Of his pea
jacket.
The gull Oh the gold ball slid off whjls
u flu5tering cloud of white wings. present
ing . striking contrast to the blue v-Gtr-.
appeared AS if by magic at the stern and
over the deck, all laughing loudly in their
way,
A. The purser held up his hand down
swooped large and beautiful gull, and
lowered IN the air not ST.. en- feet above the
deck just over him, turning its head this
way and that In es ser expectation. 10
WIS not disappointed, for the Office" -o7s,
14V of meat into the air. which tie gull
deity caught.
That .Iac,; " the pursar called to the
little boy, who was peeping out OF the open
window
,Jacl; I'D been shot and one of his lege
was gone, while the other leg winch lad
probably bsen wounded, hung directly
down. as though he were holding it out tc
shske hands
"Thnt big brown fellow is old Tom,
said the officer He rarely misses trir
and the one chasing the other call -imok
er because he once picked up a CT gar that
soi.o ono threw over but he very soon
found out his mistake call them my
laughing travellers, " continued the purstc,
tossing some meat into the air which the
birds caught, because they travel with
me all day, and are always laughing
Whether it is really laughing l don t
know. added the officer When th1y are
standing on shore, they bow their heads >
that the bill almost touches the gr0un ,
then they raise it high in the air. and just
then comes the ha, hal Now, what would
you say
WHY. | should think they We're laugh.
ing a something among themselves, was
the reply.
Anyway, 80 continued the purser, they
have a good deal to laugh about, as every
day | bring them some bread and meat,
and give them feast, and they all know
me.
Don't you ever forget them;' asked
the little boy
Il did once, was the reply.
And did they laugh just the same that
day
II think they did, " said the officer
Then | think thoy are very cheerful
birds, " said the boy.
so they are" laughed the purser,
Here, Tom, he called, holding up hi'
hand. Whereupon gull approached with
in two or three feet of Il and caught he
} piece Of meat he tossed, while the other
birds came lowering about.
To the little passenger IL was wonGcr
full sight, as despite the fact that the
steamer was moving rapidly, the birds
lowered overhead without moving wing
or pinion, seemingly carried along with
the vessel.
Some Of the eulls left the steamer cJ thC
big island and did NOT return until thu
= next day, and many We're the tricks ane
prAnks that they played upon the seals
the pelicans and the Fishermen II a ii-h
erman left "a tsh exposed for moment
they would .iiRht Oh the beach and wall
by il with q very innocent air, then final!
grasp it directly from under the man
eyes and ty away with a resembling laugh
pursued by all the other gulls, strugglin.
, for the prize
The senls were great pests. diving doWr
and taking out tho fish AS they became
ailled in the nets but they had one habi
that gave the laughing travellers an ad
vantage The seals wyuld combine pleas
ure with work, and when they. had taker
a Ash ont of the net they would toss 1t II
the air, catching il Ikea bail. 1t was q
this time that the gulls, perhaps Jack
Tom or Smoker, would dart IN and sei2
It, and witt u chorus Of cries 60 ayini
= away with the twice stolen fish,
Once "A year the gulls made a visit 10
bleak rock out 10 mikes distant, wher
: they laid tn ir speckled eggs, which III