The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-07-07

the marsh. and coolly sp,tted this
latest addition 10 his butchers shop
on thorn: thus proving that, IL the
French have named him well. so had
We. for We call him n butcher bird.
Now. close 20 the foot OF that
dwarfed treet. on the side OF the ditch
bank. was n hole in which lived a
riis cally old cat. who appeared 10 gain
"a more or less murderous living by
foraging along the sides OF the dykes
AT night. and probably turning To his
own gain the wounded and dead wild
fowl which the Wildfowlers lost.
think that old rat sometimes muir
dored roosting birds. especially IT
they wer" drowsy and weak and
numbed with the cold. Possibly he
thought he was going TO do the same
with this one. Il may be that he even
started upon his fen deed. and. OF
course. awoke the bird-that is. awokc
the shrike.
Inc rrst thing that the rat knew
was scrceCh more angry than fright
eGed. and. with a swiftly and accurate.
~ delivered peek just beneath his
i,Sht eye. that not only came near 10
binding him. but knocked him clean
T.
ever. which. considering the depth and
so'tness ~ the snow. would have been
the safest thing 70 10. he fooiisily
n"nS on. and with the natural reuSlt
h"hg. Squ"aiing like anything. in a
most ludicrous fashion.
Tie shrike had very nasty cash on
MS breast. which WAS The result Of
IN" raj attempt Ia murder him in his
steep and was both angry and fright
ehed' but not. 1t seemed. anxious 10
IKE wing IN The dark. He therefore
tanc"d. yelling with fury. up and down
ms perch. hamm-rinE az the lirtle pink
''"t oi m" unhappy rat as lie hung.
qua Hhaily, leaning over. hammerius
INC uHd"rwide OF tho rat himself.
Ne rat mad" q Wild leap SIDEWAYS
10 cluster q! other fVigS- Droba hi 4
tearing for his ewes II h. remained
dHd d> J." 81! so tho firo.cafiug er,,-
Iln" ruticr"G oar and struck him
'ull on one oar. ripping e. op.n. The
I"t ianGed sideways among The fWiss-
WIN Inc bird. unable 10 check Tho. i'm
l''u~ 81 MS mad dash. Clufrniut. and
tearing practically on top OF him
Now, both 90 'hpsa wild comha,,nfs
We're born ana bred hrigand~. and both
M'r" lighters. but Tho rat was or
'"urs' 'ar III" stronger. The rat was
. = '''' it an 4il'tF-l i'1fp POSITION. and
Tor one" his coming had lei him
"s'raN ~ ogging him on 10 attack "A
comparatively small and dcfcnenicss
blTd Mh" V2~. iu fact. "a very demon.
MOREOVER. The raf had fallen among
tlorns. one Of which had pierced his
''. hlclr. and N.- STRUGGLES with ~.
n.N Maad'ucd bird mad. fhi- yur>.
Then all al once. through tho
E.oom. just like a great big ghost
cam. silently a huge white and ST.
tent iui'ering form. win large round
eyes that stared like flar!ng florius.
j. vas snowy owl. tho enormous
white owl that lives usually ia Arc'ic
Europe. hut hiCh frequently paws Us
q Christmas 90 N"w Year VISIT.
Big * he was. and fluffy and 81
irni. he was not SLOW. this giant Of
the owls Swiftly he as upon them
quick as Thought his great. white
i'a'h'red talons shot our and cIutch.d
clutch which had slain MANY a
hare. or even Young fox-and almost
h"for" on" realized that he had been
ti~rc 90 all. was gone
An1 >u Wa. 'h- skrike. and also tho
rat gone. on" In each claw. the biz
Gal and taken Them. and the thorn
trees and the hedar-ide ditch no
gate post and the hole. would know
Them no more.