The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-05-03
By
ROWLAND
THOMAS.

There, senior. | have found him!
There he goes. Look! Lookw pointing
up to the tree where he had been.
on these occasions Justin always lay
on the grass and laughed.
Justin was woodland philosopher,
and has discovered that town-bred folk
and wild chickens had been sent into
the world for his amusement He
never delgned to take any further part
in the pursuit.
When 1t came to stalking a deer or
running down a pig he was all eager
ness and skill. and would lead Inc for
hours without a thought of rest but
chickens were beneath him. Occasion
ally, however, as we rode along, crow
would cav somewhere above us. Then
Justin was full of excitement.
Look, senorr' he would shout, point
ing mp to the empty SIX" Il have found
him. There! Therer'
In spite of Justin's jesting my desire
to see wild cock face to face only in
creased with repeated failure.
/ never tried to shoot one after that
first experience. | would as soon have
thought of shooting at a monkey. But
| wanted TO have one for my own, to
look at, and draw pictures of and show
10 my poor friends who lived down in
the plains through the hot season and
complained Of prlcily heat. even
dreamed of presenting one TO my
friend the captain. and letting him
create a new and lusty race of fowls, Il
breed which would meet the hawk in
his own element and laugh at woven
wire fences.
At last. up in n little mountain vii
lage. my opportunity came. tranquil
announced, with the respectful elation
he sometimes permitted himself, that
man had a wild rooster. Would the
senior like to come to see it?
The senior was willing. so we went
down the narrow grass-grown street
together. stepping carefully over the
babies and pigs that were basking in
the sun.
In the yard of a little tubledown
shack we found a rusty brown bird
tied to a post by bit of twine about
his leg. The old man. his owner, scat
tered few kernels OF corn. and the
poor dingy thing pecked at them in 4
half hearted way. A hen came bust
ling up and he pecked peevishly at her
once or twice. and then hoped back
to his post and stood there. duh and
round shouldered. like a sulky boy who
had decided that the corn was not of
much Importance. anyway. and had
put his hands in his pockets.
I was slow TO believe that this could
be brother of the swift, bright bird
which had doomed out of a treetop that
first morning. but | presently discov-
cred that it was. The long. slender
body, the powerful wings. the sharp,
heavy bill, were the product of genera
iions Of wild life. And under the dust
and rustiness of the feathers there
We're stlll traces Of the green and gold
Of the forest. The changes were due
only to Il changed mode of life.
"The man says" explained Tranquil,
that lie has had this rooster for long
time, ana it is dirty. He says he will
catch clean one for the senior, if he
plcases."
or course the senor pleased, and one
bright morning we set out The old
man, our guide, marched in front, most
| Importantly. for it is not every day
that one has n chance TO show a senor
what n clever man one is at catching
u.fId cbi.I-opg ou1 4ho otJ ,.o, l.,,o,.
that his grandchildren would tell their
children about this expedition.
Under his arm he carried red fight
Ing cock. 1t struck me as a bit odd to
carry such an animal on a hunting
trip, One feels no surprise in the Phil
ippncs I'm meeting people with roosters
under their arms: It is quite the usual
thing. Tranquil followed the old man
respectfully hopeful Then came Jus.
tin. smiling, and brought up the rear
A mile or so from the village the
wall Of the forest rose. dark ana i'm.
penetroble. But at one point a stream
came down from the hills, and there
the field extended into the woods for q
little way, making "A sort Of room, cool
ana shadowy, ana carpeted with short
thick turf.
Here the old man halted and waited
I'LL we all stood about him. Then he
drew from the pocket of his blouse q
hundlc Of lwine wound on four point.
ed sticks. Justin stopped smiling
| Anything in the nature Of n trap. any.
thing which matched mans wits
against the instinct of the wild Great
ures, Interested Justin.
The old man chose n spot Of leve
ground and set 70 work. He drove one
OF the little stakes into the ground, un
colled the tWine. drove another, and sC
on. until he had marked out n square
about yard on a side. On three side
the twinc was carried on the stake
ka few inches above the ground, ant
from this fence, every hands breadtl
or so, hung little moose of fiber.
The fourth side Of the square was
wall Of brush, and at the centre Of thl
the old man now drove a fifth stake
and tied his lighting cock 10 1t by
very short tether. Then he opened al
the little nooses and spread them care
fully on the ground within the square
Justin inspected his work.
1T is very good" he announced a
last Zone would not believe that thi
old man could be so wise. The will
ronstes hears this one. He wishes t
fight. All ROSTERS wish to fight al
| WAYS. He comes from the wood, dane