Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-07
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR JANUARY Z. 1912
MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKENS
Continued from page :

come to the surface far away. Later he had
fought him back from the water in his first
moment of panic fear They were both done
up This was the quickest way.
"NIaybe they'll see us, Sir, sailing over, up
there"
COR miss us, if they drop the bomb-it's
on the knees of the gods, Jack
Mother Carey backed out, breathless, on
her own knees. IL have him! A fine little
banty it is-a shame to shock him. she
cried. "And now well get back to the boat,
Lads. I've been overlong-'
"You have!" the officer said, scanning the
clouds. @Don't lay it to me, Ma'am-'
"I'll take the blame, never fear, if there's
a penalty for saving life at sea. Five hens
and banty rooster-'twill never break the
Navy Department.
TT was the sloop she was Worrying about
now, budding in the boat with the cack-
ling hens. The storm held off, the mist never
clearing; yet somehow she feared while she
yearned for the homecoming to the Rollick-
ing Lass. What was it? Her boys SO long
absent? She only prayed they might not go
to the great fishpound, tempted by poverty
to take that SO convenient at hand. Caught
at that, meant prison. Her heart throbbed
What was it
"The bombshell!" Something swooped
screaming,-a thunderbolt, with iron clang-
ing, with terrible noise. Target and raft
were torn in shreds, the parts futtering,
floating. Twas the crack of doom to Mother
Carey. She took her hands from her ears
to hear the officer cry:
@Thatll fetch EN- if nothing elseI Dye
see her, Jack? Right overhead
3She came on dropping oranges, Sir.
Right up to the raft
1,ar I1a
clear, and came on. Struck square on the
turret."
Lucky we wasn't in it," the sailor
growled. "Thanks to the missus herel"
"Mercy on the men!" cried Mother Carey.
1t was all Greek to her; but vaguely she
sensed that the aeroplane had passed, drop
ping death dealing bomb, and gone safely
on her way. 1t seemed good omen
"There they are! 1 thought the ship
would send out, not getting our signals!'
The officer was watching inshore, aban-
doning the terror of the sky. Both men
were white from the narrow escape shivering
in their rags; but the boy nodded, bravely
enough
Il thought it was our people first; but it's
the guardboat coming out" he said, "Ships
Bottom lifeboat. They've got boat in tow
with couple O men in it. What does that
mean, dye suppose, fish pirateso"
"My poor misguided lads My own two
chicks!" moaned Mother Carey mo, no!
God wouldn't let-after l saved a the
others!"
TT was the irony of fate had decreed the
Rolliclling Lass for the scene of finish
for all hands, such as Mother Carey, hard
ened to strange happenings, had never
dreamed.
Neither had she dreamed, at the very
moment of the looting of the "chicken farm
at sea- how Ships Bottom, guarding the
great Barnegat fishpound, had swooped down
on her Tom and Archie, lurking out to sea
along the well stocked pound, their boat
loaded with the biggest catch of the season,
hundreds of herring, when none had been
taken there for weeks BEFORE of the
many glasses shoreward watching the cap
ture of the "fish pirates as we'll as they could
with the mist swaying hither and yon. These
things were mercifully hid from her.
But when Mother Carey sprang aboard
fierce eyed from the dinghy, with the brave
little officer backing her up, she never
flinched as she faced Big Captain Casco,
come aboard with Tom and Archie on the
other side, with the whole of Ships Bottom
crew watching sympathetically,- row of
weatherbeaten heads in ou'westers, bal