Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-09-27

A YOUNG GUARDIAN OF
TIE SONG BIRDS.

, I lJCdSO IL. III tDiS StCt1Ni+ ~ ''--
city the houses are far apart and the
green meadows are everywhere. Here
the meadow lark and bOblinks and
wild canaries and robins resort IN
countless numbers. Their nests may
| be found in the grasses and bushes
and trees They make happy COM
pany, and their concerts may be heard
from morning until night in sunny
weather.
| There is one boy in Chicago Lawn
who can tell you where the mother
bobolink builds her delicate nest; he
can point out the trees that the robins
have chosen for their homes; he
knows all about the funny ways of the
meadow lark, that will sing you song
one minute and then sail away to the
tall grasses, as if offended at your in.
difference.
Ask Dale Poole if he loves the birds,
and he will ask you if yon love your
brother He is the big brother of all
the birds in his neiehborhood: and,
like a big brother, he will fight their
battles
| And this brings lis TO our story.
Not long ago Dale was searching for
violets in meadow not far from his
home. In his wanderings he suddenly
espied man lying flat on the ground
and almost hidden by the grasses.
He thought the mans actions rather
queer: and, TO satisfy his curiosity, he
approached nearer to him. ;.
Go back" uttered the man. in a
low voice Go away! Go around an
other way"
Well. now Dale is a Chicago boy:
and, as he was upon ground quite
public: and as there were no signs to
keep off the grass. he did not alter
the course of his footsteps in just the
way the man in the grass would have
liked.
Go back l tell you" demanded
said person in the grass.
Dale paused, for the man had arisen
to his feet
"Go."
Dale ran for the man was after
him.
When Dale arrived at the edge of
the meadow he turned and discovered
that the man had resumed his former
position in the grass.
Hes a queer one, thought the boy.
But what do you call this?''
Dale met with a queer device set up
at the edge of the meadow. 1t was
nothing more than plank placed IN
al. upright position. with two or three
small branches of shrub protruding 6
from certain holes made by WORMS.
The arranseme ent at first glance look
ed inoffensive enough but. on closer
inspection, Dale discovered that the
branches We're covered with sub
stance most sticky in its nature.
''Molasses. Nc. it's Pitch" he
guessed
Then it suddenly dawned upon him
what that mysterious substance might
be
"Its bird lime, That fellow is try
ing to trap singing birds! Oh, if ]
were cnly nan
There is such thing as righteous
wrath. good lump of it crowded up
into Da1e's throat when he undertook
to yell at the tyrant lying in the grass
yonder
oil set Nellie en- hiro !" be vowed.
Nellie is big St Bernard and a
watchdog that fears .Leither man nor
beast She is OF the very best blco1
and she knows it. Her past achieve
fnents have necessitated the placing
OF a sign before her kennel which
reads: Beware OF the deg"
THAT man ought to be eaten up''
Which was all very true. Nellie
would have enjoyed the task.
When Dale reached home he re
Tented, Instead Of releasing big Mel
lie, he rs.n to the homes OF two Of his
neighbors Tn short order this guard
ian Of birdland organ i2ed a posse con-
ssting of two Inen, with himseH at
their head. He led The way across
the meadows towards the suspected
bird dtrappet. The latter Immediately
betrayed his guilt for ne scrambled
to his feet, ran d few PAGES, stopped
down and tuInb,ed for an instant be-
meath a bOx-fike contriyance, and made
off, with Daies TWO deputies in hot
pursuit.
The rdtrappe, escaped, and, on
the return OF the pnrsuets, an inspec-
tion was made OF the bOx-Iike str1lct-
ure just mentioned 1t was found to
be bird trap Of an original pattern
The owner had evidently secured his
decOy bird when he paused at the tran