The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-06-23

hands inching up the tail, while the
COW slared round at him with black,
protruding eyes and muscles jumping
with fear.
All at once, with a kind of sticky
sigh, his legs drew out Of the rub
Der boots, and Sawyer went hand over
hand along the tail, sliding on his
stomach like turtle. He craw!ed up
over ner hips, straddled her sharp
back, and began to laugh hysterical-
ly.
A shadow swept over him and he
looked up, still grinning foolishly. A
big sooty brown bird was wheeling
close above him on fitting wings. An
other was descending from the
clouds in complaisant circles, and
third came slouching over the reeds.
Sawyer had heard about buZZards
and their diet, and the inference was
not amusing. AS he watched them,
two alighted upon the sagging rail
of what had once been part Of a
cow-pen. The third came straight
and softly at him. He got a fleeting
impression of red, naked. filthen-
crusted neck and a ruff of soiled
feathers. Then, almost before
he could throw up his arm, the
hooked bill snapped, and he felt
pang in his cheek and the warm
triclle of blood.
The buzzard tapped off astonishod
at its vigorous reception, and Joined
the two on the rail. These catch
basins of the marsh We're their
friends. Anything that fell into them
belonged to the buZzards eventually.
This thing evidently had not been in
quite long enough, but the three buzz
yards could afford to wait a while.
The buzzards hunched together ami
cably, their bald heads bobbing. Saw
yer, hopping his cheek-bone, looked
at them with fear and hatred. Then
he looked at the nearest bank. 1t
was ten feet away-ten feet OF shak-
ing bottomless ooZe. He we'll knew
what would happen to him If he set
a stockinged foot on that.
He thought hard and long. The
sun burned hot spot on the top Of
his head where the hair was thin,
and the buzzards shook their loose
wings derisively. Sooner or later
and the later it was, the better ap-
petites they would bring to the feast.
Only ten feet! If he could be a
boy again for a few minutes, and
the little red COW were not quite
so sharp in the back. AS it was, he |
was too stiff and too portly to bal |
ance himself on her bony TANKS, let |
alone doing a standing jump of ten |
feet.
When the idea came to him it |
seemed so simple he rejected it at |
first. But his mind kept returning |
to it. 1t was the one definite piece
of action that had suggested Itself
He took off his coat, waistcoat and
flannel shirt, and laid them neatly
across the red cows spine. On top
of these, after considerable exertion,
he placed his muddy trousers. Then
in his underwear he shook his fist
at the buZzards.
There's many Slip" he shouted
at them. Il hope that slip won't be
NINE" he added, somewhat less con-
fidently.
He measured the distance to the
bank with an anxious eye, and one
by one tossed the various garments
forth on the ooze. They formed a
wavering and insecure-looking paw
ing for little over half the dis
lance.
He stretched out a foot gingerly.
tested the resistance Of the waistcoat
and took the plunge!
1t was done in a dash and mad
slide, such as he used to make when
4 member of a certain grammar-school
baseball team. At the finish his nose
was damned into the bank and his
fingers hooked among the reeds.
He was piebald and evil-smelling
figure when he crawled forth on the
level Of the marsh, but he had sell
dom felt happier. He was perfectly
content to leave the new khaki suit
Ind the rubber boots. And with them
ne cast away all desire to become a
sportsman. He felt much sympathy
or the little red COW, however, and
le spoke to her comfortingly as he
,urried himself with handfuls Of
grass.
Il forgive you for our slight un-
old lady, in considera- ,
ion of the back you lent me. I'll
see that Scott comes your way with
| pony and rope. In the mean ,
line, farewell. You won't see me ,
again unless you should happen to
,ome to New York."-Youths Com. ,
,anion