The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-01-11
CHILDRENS DEPARTMENT.

turning messengers. Well, he went
this time because he couldn't help 1t;
but his cunning played fine trick on
his new owners. This bird was taken
2000 miles by land to San francisco;
20S9 miles by water to the Hawaii.
thence 2240 miles by water to the
Samoan Islands, thence 1000 miles by
water to Auckland-in all nearly 5000
miles. and-now Pete is at home agin!
The homecoming of this bird is lit
tie short of marvellous, and this is how
he accomplished 1t. Watching care
fully for an opportunity to escape,
after landing at Auckland Pete took
to his wings. and finding in the har-
Dor the vessel which had carried him
so far from home. he radiated from
its masts in every direction, searching
for a familiar scene or object, which,
of course, he could not find so many
can dove-cote. However, he stayed
near the ship, perhaps thinking it
would return to America; but when
the vessel finally steamed out, headed
for Australia instead of the United
States, Pete deserted his perch and
struck out straight toward his home
land. So it happened that the Lucy
Belle, an old-fashioned sailing vessel
laden with lumber from the Samoan
Isles. when three days from Christmas
TSl ln1 Inv a
hausted stranger; and the stranger was
nobody in the world but Mr.. Pete.
As the old sailor is very superstitious
being, Pete was welcomed amid cries
of wonder Mt encountering a homiDg
pigeon in the middle of the Pacific
Ocean, and was allowed to ride wher.
ever he chose on shipboard. The bird
was kindly treated and fed. and one
day. during 4 storm which frightened
him and drove the little tramp to shell
ter on deck, it was discovered that he
carried small tag on one leg, bearing
n number and his name. He was
placed in q box with Stats for bars,
and in this condition came into San
Frfancisco Bay with the Lucy Belle,
just as happy at sight of land as any
member OF the crew, who considered
him 4 mascot
The story of the Lucy Bellies mas
cot soon spread among the shipfolk
along the wharves. and in a few hours
Pete was identified as having been
shipped some weeks before for Auck-
land. Then it was that the people un-
derstood that the crafty fellow was
homeward bound.
All this is wonderful enough; but
the fact that Pete reached home un-
aided over 200O miles of land route is.
perhaps, only less wonderful. But he
did.
1t was argued on the Lucy Belle that
bird possessing a brain wise enough
to figure out an ocean voyage could
reach his home on land; and after some
debate the sailors securely fastened
little story to Pete's leg, reciting his
adventures so far as known to them,
and turned him loose. How the dear
little wanderer found his way home he
alone can tell.
1t took Pete nine days TO travel the
2000 miles, in covering which, Of
course. he must have stopped often;
for, if he could have gone straight
home, the distance could have been
made in thirty or forty hours. We who
had sent him off to Australia had not
the slightest idea that he was this side
OF the equator, or of the world, when,
one morning. not long ago. Mr.. Pete
quietly hoped down from the home
lott, and, without any fuss whatever,
joined his mates at a breakfast of corn,
wheat and crumbs!
Now. what do you think OF him?
He will never be sent away again,
fer there is not sufficient money at the
disposal of any one man to secure him.
If you know of any girls or boys
who are discOntented at home. show
them this story of Pete, who so loved
his humble abode of rough board and
hard straw that he outwitted cunning
men and deiied the risks and hardships
of an S000-mile journey over sea and
land, in the effort to return to his
home,-Ross E. Franklin, in st. Nicho-
las.