The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-16
INCIDENTS n,,.r,o,s
nv II. T.. GRAY.


The Boy was creeping along the
blind side of the fence, bent double,
a diminutive rifle in his hand.
The Man stood in his back yard.
in the cool of the evening. feeding
chickens.
The Man did not see the Boy. nor
the Boy the Man.
What the Boy saw was a pompous
pigeon strutting about on the over
hanging cave of the house, engrossed
in the contemplation of its own per-
sonal attractions. Needless to say.
the pigeon did not see the Boy, else
it had sought safer promenade.
So the pigeon strutted around and
around its contented circle, and the
Man fed the chickens and the Boy.
bent double, crept slowly along the
blind side of the fence.
Presently the Boy stopped close up
under the caves, raised his rifle eau
tiously till the end of the barrel rested
on the top of the fence, braced his
slender legs for a more certain aim,
dropped his freckled cheek close down
against the stock. glanced with flash
ing blue eye until the sight rested
against the blue-black breast of the
pigeon turning in his walk and pulled
the trigger.
There was sharp "pank." ten
uous ribbon of smoke as the shell ex-
ploded. the Man paused with the
dough in his hand, chicken gave
a nervous cackle and the lordly pig
con rolled fatty from the caves to the
ground.
Now it so happened that the Man
was one whose bo--hood had not been
lost III the years. Therefore, he pei
mitted himself at the sound of the
rifle no raucus shout which the Boy
might heed as a warning and hold IN
contempt as a threat. Neither did he
permit himself the idiocy of exhibiting
flushed and angry face over the top
of the fence to lend speed to juvenile
heels when the lordly fan-tail fell
plumply at his feet. InStead-being
man only in strength and bigness
and still a boy in wit and instinct
he argued from cause to effect and
therefrom deduced practical Sc
quence.
So that while the Boy. awaiting the
possible effect of his shot. stood flat
tened against one side of the fence.
the Man waited patiently, also fiat
tened out against the other. while
the fan-tail pigeon, regarded by curl
Gus hens, lay where he had fallen
in the yard.
AS the man had foreseen it was not
long before he detected a movement
on the other side the fence. The Boy,
leIlSe WIFI tie eACiIeIt6Ill Ol the SlOl
afraid but determined to get his game,
was taking his chances like born
desperate, with cool and quick de-
cision. AS the Man looked, there ap-
peared almost above his head a
grimy pair of small hands followed
sound Of feet against the planks and
appeared first heel hooked over the
edge, then d glimpse of a hatless
head level with the fence-top,
the spasmodic waving of a pipe-sten,
leg reaching for the grip of the knee
joint that was to pull the body over
into the yard.
At this moment the Man reached
up and grabbed the small foot with
vise-like grip:
Come on over Sonny." he invited,
his voice full of the suppressed
chuckle of triumph.
ThA Boy stood before the Man in
dazed silence. Serious as the situa-
ton rnanifestly was, it was evident
that he did not intend TO weaken. Elk
cept thet the freckles showed the more
plainly for the whiteness OF his face
and his thin lips. losing their curve,
were set in a stern. straight line.
there was no agitation in his pose.
His pipe-stem legs set far apart. his
shoulders held Quiet under the re-
straining hand with forced but
prideful nonchalance., he turned the
hawk-likG features of his "gamY'
face fun upon his captor, his steel
blue eyes, cleaning coldly into the
glaring orbs of the Man.
What is your name? (No answer.
do you know. sir. that you have
broken the law? That You have COM
mitted crime? That can have you
put in the Guard House,''--the eye
lids of the Boy duivered slightly and
ne shifted his feet but not his gaze
"All I've got to do" continued the
man. a trifleN weakly, "is to telephone
the police. Don't you know, any bet
ter than to shoot into peoples yards
and kill their pigeons off their houses
/ never heard of such thing" SAID
the man steri1ly as he shifted his eyes
and cleared his throat. I'D like te
know what this generation of boys
is coming to anyway
He paused but the boy only looked
in mis- face with a glance, half defiant
wholly resigned to the situation
What have YOU got to say for your
self" asked the Man sterny.
AWE replied the Boy bitterly, "Ge
on and do what you're 'a-goin' to-
The man reflected. He felt that ii
some way the tables had been tu>Aed
upon him. In spite of the high CASTE
of his build the Boy looked pitifullS
small. Sure as he was of the
theoretical virtue OF his COURSE
there was small voice crying shame
within his breast. Yet how was he
whose pigeon lay there dead before
him. how was he to retire with grace
how forgive this freckled faced enemy
that he had taken the trouble to cap
ture by ambushAwho refused to re-
pent or to give an opening for for
giveness? AS his eye rested on the
PROSTATE fan TAIL the Mans resent
ment blaZed up hot within him
strangely enough against the bird
rather than the boy-that fool bird
that had gone and gotten himself
killed. Served him right thought
the Man, in spite of himself. as he re-
garded the cause of his embarrass-
ment
Got rifle on the other side Of
that fence" | reckon. he observed
I'd better get that. I expect. Yol
needn't run: | know your name"
"Aw." said the boy, frightening will
the advantage he felt but could no
see. II knew that all the time. What'C
you ask me for? l amt goin' to run.
The man released his hold on tn
shoulder of his captive and vauite,
The fence, returning in a moment witt
the rifle in his hand. The Boy still