Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-08-11

very blonde lady Of Langshan. whom
he had surprised behind the feed cut
ting machine, and when old Plymouth
Father iuriously rushed him, he stood
his ground quite valiantly until the
frightened pullet had made off with
his loye-token, when he retreated in
good order to make his peace, doubt
not, with his neglected patroness.
But there is promise of new recruits
TO take the place Of those who may de-
sert this outlaw queen and, though |
have absolutely no index or knowledge
OF the language or means Of commun-
lcation among even So commonplace
and familiar tribe as the barn-yard
fowls, venture to believe that these
six free-companions of the exiled Ha.
gar seldom go to rOost or to their
morning sally without descanting, and
perhaps exaggerating, in the regular
masculine fashion, upon the forbidden
joys, the brave adventures and the
strange encounters of their travels. /
suppose they have about the charms
of Hagar and the favors they have
had at her hands, boasting OF their own
achievements as courtiers, as nimrods
and as hunters of the jungles into
which she has led them. Certain it is
that at least one half-grown rooster is
ambitious to join her standard, though
he met an adventure, one day, that
must have cooled his ardor even
while it enhanced the tender lame in
which he held the cat.
This precious coxcomb is scarcely
free of his leading strings. Some of
his less confident brothers and sisters
yet follow their mother about the
place, but nothing will suit him ex-
cept the airs of full-grown cock, and
a most bumptious, assertive yougster
he seems to be. Sometimes he will
Jump upon a pOtato-sack and make
such an effort TO crow as would set
the whole yard laughing, if chickens
could but laugh, and l saw him the
other day kicking his wing at an old
hen, much as tlirtatious boy wigwags
his hand at a feasible" girl. She
stared at him incredulously for a sec.
Ond Il think she was his aunt) and
then gave him vigorous jab with her
we'll. ground beak. Like the bad boy
who is set upon al home, he made off
down the road after Hagar and her
vagabonds, and for time | thought
that he was to be received by the Irish
Gray as sort of equery, or squire, OF
the body. l watched them down
along the deserted road, which is
here lined with unfenced strawberry
patches, Hagar stepping daintily along
the top rail of the barbed-wire fence
and her six gallants foraging among
the plants with the runaway young
ster at their heels.
fell swoopng from the sky at the mar
gin of the overhanging woods. GA
hawk" shrieked the six roosters. dart
ing through the fence for cover. The
biggest and boldcst of them thrust his
head into pile of drifted leaves, some
ran squawlng iuto the thicket, and
the poor little prodigal, panic-stricken
and piping shrilly for his mother,
started for home as fast as his legs
could carry him. The hawk was upon
him in a jiffy, but just as quick came
Hagar, leaping from her fence-perch,
her tail broadened with fury, her name
bristling as she pounced upon the
murderer's back. Over they rolled in
the dust, the feathers flew, the great
birds wings shifting like fail, with
the rescued stripping running for shell
ter. think that hawk might have
carried Hagar Off with him, but he was
glad enough to shake her from his
back, and as he sailed screaming away
into blue, she stood snarlipg upon her
launches, disappointed hatred in her
eyes, her tail thrashing about her loins,
her attitude challenge to the coward
coyOte of the skies.