Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-29

tA Indian ocean.
 T left the third one alone.
 Then came the atoll Came out Of the sunrise, as it were, suddenly, close I'D to me. It was just common atoll about four miles round, with a few trees growing and spring in one place, and the lagoon full of parrot fish. 1 took the egg ashore and put | in a good place, well above the tide lines, and in the sun, to give it all the chance l could, pulled the canoe up safe and loafed about prospect ing. s :.
 "The next day the egg matched
 T heard whack, and there was the end of the egg pecked out and a rur, little brown head looking out at me, 'Lord!' I said, you're welcome;' and with little difficulty he came out.
 "He was nice friendly little chan at first, about the size of a hen-yery much like most other young birds, only bigger. can hardly say how pleased I was to see him. He looked at me and winked his eye from tha front backward, like a hen, and gave chirp, and began to peck about at once as though being matched 400 years too late was just nothing.
 Glad to see you, Man Friday.' says 1, for I had settled that he was to be called Man Friday if ever he was matched.
 You'd be surprised what an inter- esting bird that Aepyornis chick was. lie followed me about from the very beginning. He used to stand by me and watch while fished in the lagoon, and go shares in anything I caught.
 And he grew. You could almos: see him grow. And as I was never much of society man, his quiet, friendly ways suited me to a T. For nearly two years we were as happy as We could be on that island. 1 used to lie watching the bird stalk ing round and growing, growing and think how I could make a liv- Ing out of him by showing him about IL I eyer SOLa Ldk61 OH.
 After his first moult he began to get handsome. with a crest and a blue wattle, and lot of green feathers at the behind of him. After a storm we would go round the island together and see if there was any drift It was kind of idyll. you might say.
 About the end of the second year our little paradise went wrong. Friday vas then about 14 feet high to the bill of him, with big, broad head like the, end Of pickax. and two huge brown eyes with yellow rims, set together like man's-not out of sight of each ether like hens. And then it was he began to cock his comb at me and give himself airs, and show signs of nasty temper
 At last came time when my fish Ing had been rather unlucky, and he reSan to hang about me in a queer, ,.neditative way. I was hungry, too, and when at last I landed a fish. wanted it for myself. Tempers were short that morning on both sides. He pecked at it and grabbed it, and I gave him a whack on the head to make him leave go. And at that he went for me- -~s~-. aA-.---IA SA.Is aA''OtIn He gave me this in the face." The man indicated his scar. Then ho kicked me. It was like a cart-horse. ] got up, and seeing he hadn't finished started of full tilt with my arms doubled up over my face. made for the lagoon. and went in up to my neck. He stopped at the water, for he hated getting his feet wet, and began to make a shindy, something like a peacock's. only .hoarser.
 q won't tell you all the little de- vices I tried to get that bird round again. l simply can't. It makes my cheek burn with shame even now to think of the snubs and buffets I had from this internal curiosity. tried starving him out and struck fishing, but he took to picking along the beach At low water after worms, and rubbed along on that.
 q shouldn't like to say how long that went on. I'd have killed him aooner, if I'd known how. However, hit on a way of settling him at las. 1t is a South American dodge. T. joined all my fishing lines together with stems of seaweed and things, and made a stoutish string. perhaps A yards in length. or more, and I 1. two Jumps of coral rock to i the ends of this It took me some time | 10 do. because every now and then I 1. had to go into the lagoon or up a Tree, as the fancy took me. This 1 ! Thirled rapidly round my head. and ' ihen let it go at him. The first time ! but the next time the string taught his legs beautifully. and | round them again and again Over he went. l threw it standing Eaist-deep in the lagoon. and as soon Is he went down. was out of the va Ter and saving at his neck with my tnife
 With that tragedy. loneliness came