Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1900-06-29
A Turn at Flowing
Tho hoy Didn't LILO tho Work, but
Hnjoyed the Attendant Sport.

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do you really want TO try your han,
al ne piowY" was Uncle Toms remarl
after breakfast was over.
"I'd Ike to see II ! could" said th'
boy. "even II l get sick OF it befori
night"
IAN right" was his uncle's reply
But you can't carry The gun with you
The mules would stampede"
"Why. what would there be {,
shoOtg'' said Aunt Fanny.
lob. there's blackbirds ana kildees
by the barrel" said Uncle Tom.
"IH take my bean shooter" said The
hoy. "and get enough birds FOR a potpie
by night"
So. with a pocketful OF buckshot and
his rubber weapon. he was ready for
the fray. The farm was one of 240
acres. II was rolling country and
fenced in by the old fashioned barblcss
wire fences. The soil was dark loan
and easily worked. There was sand
enough so that a plow would EcouT
fairly well. and there were no rocks.
The boy had watched his uncle pillow
the day before. and Il did not seem
very hard work. SO. wjth a light plow
and the old team. be started in with
considerable confidence. The rcins
were crossed over his shoulder and IN
der his arm. and tic novelty Of the job
appealed to his curiosity. He grasped
the handles and started the team with
an assuring cit upr' His instructions
were cot 10 hold the plowshare too
deep In the soil or he would b. hoisted
into the air by the combination Of the
lines around him arl Che lcvprlg e OF
the carth's surface, and Cor toe first
200 yards be glngerly scraped along al.
most on top OF the ground.
Then be remembered shat this vas
not blowing. and he "h'Isted' up the
handles and dug into the bowels Of the
earth. 1t was n long pull and a strong
pull aud a pull all together as he re-
meE,hored It afterHard, and 1t ended
by his being slung syer the tops of the
pillow handles and deposited In the dirt.
The plow had been turned upside down
IN the furrow. aud his hat had beer
scraped or by the lines. The paal
nNlf DtulAiEn hA MN ltiAg inHAN anu NE
back felt as II part of It had been pull
ed out and thrown away. Then he rec
objected about not digging in too deep
So he brace6 himself and took hold OF
the pillow handles again. \ long stretcl
of comparatively level ground assisted
Bis efforts. and all wen well for SOM
time. 1t was a vast and awful dis
lance across the field for the first fur
row. and his uncle was a mere speci
at the other end. When he got to til,
end Of the furrow. he found the wlr,
fence, and beyond was a llmltless ex
panse OF rolling prairie stretching
down to the timber llue Of the TarkiC
river. Outside OF the fence were sew
eral burrows, which. bis uncle had ex
planned. ws.e to keep the prairie fire.
from coming in and burning the fenc,
posts,
He turned the mules and startet
back on the blowing. The loose loan
broke under his bare feet. and the fur
row crumbled down and arched aheat
OF the plow Ike the back OF an angry
hog. There was a steam. Hight, misty
almost impalpable, that rose up froI
the cloveu hide Of the old brown earth
Far In the west a bank OF white clouds
lay furled 10 the blue skies. He held
the plow more steadily now, and wher
the share began TO sink too deep hC
eased 1t up without jerking the poiu.
free from the furrow.
The turning point was reached again
and again he halted. From the line Of
cottonwoods that banked one side ol
the field came down a troop of black
birds. clacklng and gOssiping. In thell
quest for grubs. bugs and angleworms
First IN size and importance were tbs
gorgeous purple grackles, or crow
~blackbirds. They were the autocrats ol
the blackblrd tribe and most lmportan'
aud busy when engaged on foragiui
expeditions such as these. They were
followed by the more sober bued COY
~blackbirds In great numbers, aud a
the team drew away and the furrow''
line heightened out the scouts Of tb,
expedition came IN close TO the pillow
The boy had already got his bear
shooter within easy reach. and as thI
birds lined along tie iurTow he stopped
NAN hiAAfes
The nearfEt blackblrd was a big pur
pie grackle. The hoy drew the rubberi
back. a bullet Few ms The rubber bands
snapped. and The blackhird doubled NJ
IN the furrow With a bullet In bill
breast. Pu-ting In another bullet. thu
boy took a. 1tber shot at the Dext bird
which had rot noticed the almos
nofselpaa eCqrf NJ the shot. Fair auf
tru the SECOND buBet wen 10 III
mark. aud Second blaokbird droppe'
10 the shot. Going hack. the boy pick
ed up the 70 birds. and The rest Ncat
tered hack long the fnrTow Putin;
the !luca q : and under. be stnrte'
along the furrow again. Acain ~
birds drtw Up. ard aea,n be got ~
shots % them. gftfing a bird az
jigt eraxln4 another When be got &
80 - - 49,. ALL - IaaaraI