The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-01-22

But you're old enough to make your
own places in the world, and I'm sure
you'll get along capitally without
me-" She tried to speak cheerfully,
but when she glanced at Pip, her cluck
broke down. AS far as be was con-
cerned, all her careful training and
wise counsels had been lost, and now
that he could not longer be under her
watchfuI eye, she felt that some terri
bic calamity might befall him.
The next day was very sad and
lonely for Susan NiDper She tried
to take up her social duties again, and
after carefully dressing her feathers,
made calls on Mrs. SPECIFIES and Mad
am Shanghai, but their cabling gossip
bored her The only happy experience
was the five minutes she spent at
young Mrs. Leghorn's new coop, where
she clucked over the pullet's babies to
her hungry hearts content.
She was regretfully turning away
from this coop when terrible noise
greeted her. 1t was as deep and awful
as groan, as high and piercing as a
shriek-it was the cry of alarm given
by her brother-in-law, Caesar Angus
tus, the cock of the day. The alarm
was instantly taken up by frightened
hens and panic-stricken small chick
ems. There was no need to look dow.
at the appalling shadow cast upon the
sunlit ground There was no need to
look up at the horrible winged crea-
ture above their heads. Every one
knew that hawk was sweeping down
on the barnyard
Susan Nipper cool and collected,
bravely met the emergency. Clucking
at the top eff her voice, she spread out
her wings and waited In twinkling
her dear chickabiddie had run home
to mother. No. there was, one miss
ing! Out in the open stood Pip, neck
stretched upward, head at the exact
angle of the head of his Uncle Caesar
Augustus-Pip, a dainty morsel for
hawks chicken pie.
pip, come here this Instant"
mother.
Pip cooked his head ON the other
side, and calmly followed his Uncle
Caesars example of standing on one
leg.
All entreaties were unwilling. Be-
fore the mother-eyes was a sickening
sight. Pip-foolish, disobedient, in
solent-yet her own little rooster still,
was clutched up into the airl
Uncle Caesar Augustus gave groan
and drew back. Hens, cackling, fed
But, with cry of rage, Susan Nipper
darted forward and upward.
The hawk. finding the little rooster
much heavier than his size had led her
to suppose, and surprised by the unex-
pected. furious attack of the hen, re-
luctantly let go her victim, and slowly
scared away into the wood.
Pip lay motionless where he had
dropped-bleeding unconscicus-poor
Mrs. Nipper helplessly clucking over
him. But the commotion in the barn
yard had brought the dear mistress to
the rescue. With an exclamation of
horror, she knelt on the ground, and
tenderly lifted the poor little rooster in
her kind hands. There was a culver in
the still form, and Pip opened one eye.
my darling!" clucked Mrs. Nipper,
brokenly.
anted-to-know," answered a
feeble peep; then the eye closed again.
Gently holding him in her apron, the
kind mistress ran into the house. In
an agony OF suspense, Susan Nipper
waited. An hour crept by, then the
dear mistress reappeared. She care
fully held small dolls bed in her
arms. Upon it, Graded in soft pillows,
lay Pip, swathed in bandages. She
placed the bed in the shadow of a tree,
and fastened a mosquito netting over
it so that the flies should not annoy
the invalid
1t was many days before Pip recov-
cred from the shock of the deadly en-
counter, and the serious wound in his
crop where the hawks talon had torn
him, but he had found out"--not only
what he wanted to know about hawks,
but also the goodness and wisdom of
his dear mother. And at last, appre-
ciating her careful training and follow
ing her counsels, he grew up into as
fine, handsome and distinguished a
rooster as his Uncle Caesar Augustus.
Los Angeles Times.