Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-05-21


like any kind of playing for keeps"
N Even in kte-fylnE, they fix little hooks
to their kite-strngs and try to pull in
each others kites, and count it fair to keep kite
that drops into their yards They will tell you that
a kite or strange pigeon that to your place
if given UP, takes away your family luck. So you
must tear the kite and keep the pigeon. But when
you the town dandies sauntering out with their
fans and bird-cagcs to watch the noon kite-nying
critcsing the nocks and their tactics, and arguing
the fine points of decoying YOU guess that family
luck" has very little to do with their game
To decoy strange pigeons pigeon-koepers must
first train their 1ocks to "fy in spirals'tha Is to
rise steadily In circles without strayng far from the
home roof. Pigeons naturally fly together in circles.
Even wild pigeons wheel about in fOcks before stray
Cling off to the fields Chinese make their birds
eager for circlng by keeping them shut up in
wicker house built the ground around the dove
cote and they their birds Of struggling by pet-
ing them with pebbles when they try to aght any
where except spo--tho ridge-pole of the roof
facing their wicker house The flock must alight here
IN bunch, and Immediately walk down to the
This is done to bring any strange pigeon
among them down within sight Of the grain. which
Is then scattered the floor of the wicker house
Pigeons fed only after flying for unless hungry
they are lazy and unmanageable.
In Picking, 1ocks are sent up at sunrise. at noon
and just before shutdown. Neighborng hocks always
join and their keepers then try each to draw apart
his flock with call-birds, to bring with it any
unwary pigeons from the other Hocks. If stranger
Is brought to the roof the keeper it down with
his birds by throwing millet into the wicker
cage
No demands back n pigeon lost in this
way. Two friends will sometimes play live pigeon"
that is, give back each others birds that may be
captured from the flock during the game; but the
rule ia to play dead pigeon" or as boys say. for
keeps"
THE CAPTURE AND RECAPTURE OF "MU VIVA
TOU."
Every morning, when the were all back from
the cemetery pines and the upon the polished
housetops that stretched unbrokenly for miles 10 the
bue-black city walls, Little American" had watched
small clouds Of white-winged pigeons circling high
overhead--so high, sometimes, that he would not
have found them but for the faint singing Of the reed
whistles at their tails.
EIu Wha TOu was one Of Little Americans first ten
pigeons. They were all tentses-white with black
tails and each with black spot like watermelon
seed its forehead On all of them, high-bret
pigeons must have it. the white and black met il
regular lines without a struggling black feather
among the white a white among the black. ex
cept on Nh VIVA Tou, whose name meaning "Sht
Bpeckle-head, given her for rings OF blacl
On her neck. These rings, which grew out mystic
riously weeks after Little American had Dough
her very much cheapened her in the eyes of Ii Loo
the old gateleopcr who had charge Of the flock anC
who taught Little american the secrets OF pigeon
keeping. But the rings caused no loss Of caste will
the other pigeons with Little American. and h.
was sorely groved when her very first ngh
she was decoyed into captivity by his sly old neigh
Dor Kao Chun.