The Western outlook. [volume] (San Francisco, Cal.) 1894-1928, 1915-04-17
1t is called the seven Black Crows.

IL is cdll0u tue oopSu Dldck NIOWs.
1t goes like this.
And in a voice that was cracked and
bent and twisted and full of single
nails he sang two lines of verse over
and over again about seven crows,
each with nose. Then his drawl was
stopped by fit of coughing.
THAT was surely a beautiful song
and as reward If you will come down
to the house with me, will hunt you
better suit of clothes than that"
said the girl
Il knew you'd like the song, and !
will go with you. Come" How easy.
They headed for the highway, chatter
ing as they went, but were not yet
halfway there when the old man
clutched her arm with grip of iron
and dragged her back.
you can't fool Cupid! You are try.
ing to run away from Mr.. Irwin. Don't
you scream! Don't you dare do it,"
AS he pulled her back to the hut
he seized long strip of bark he had
been using as rope, and passed 1t
around under her arms, and then
forced her to sit down and made her
fast to a small tree. The girl neither
struggled nor protested The old mans
mood had changed once and might
again.
Il don't mean to burn you at the
stake" he said as he stood back and
looked at her, "but mean to keep you
from running away. Suppose / tell
Mr.. Irwin that l have a wife for him
here, and he comes here to see and
you are gone! Oh, no, you won't get
awayi / shall be back In about an
hour"
With that he started off at a brisk
pace, and was soon lost to sight and
hearing. Miss Katherine waited ten
minutes and then set out to release
herself. She couldn't accomplish 1t.
The bark strip was as strong as
rope, and being made fast behind her
the knot was too much for her.
Would the old crazy man ever come
back?
1t was high noon before the cook at
Beloits discovered that Miss Rather
inc had changed her clothes and gone
away somewhere, but 1t was four
o'clock in the afternoon before any
real alarm was felt. Then the cook
didn't know what should be done, and
the gardener replied that he didn't.
It was finally decided that she had
walked to the village and was taking
her time about getting home.
At twilight both servants were
standing in the middle Of the high
way in a nervous state when young
man came along in an auto.
"Are you in any sort Of trouble?"
he asked
did you overtake young lady In
coming from the village?" was asked.
mo"
"Then she's been carried off by the
Black Handlers" walled the cook.
What story there was to tell was
told, and the young man said:
II am Mr.. Will Irwin. l passed
along here this morning about ten
o'clock, going the other way. Down
there by the woods / saw young lady
turn off the road and go in among the
trees"
ct must have been her." walled the
cook.
And she'd never stay there as long
as this If she wasn't hurt or dead,
added the gardener.
He was ordered to get two lanterns
and then assist In the search. The
woods were entered and beaten back
and forth There was shouting and
whistling, and just when they were
ready to abandon the search they ran
upon the captive. She looked up at
them in an anxious way.
'I think you are Mr. Will Irwin, and
I think you have come for me-"
He looked into her face for few
seconds, and then. as he began to free
her, he said:
Sure, have. This must be Cupid's
work"
And it turned out to be. AS they
drove from the church after the mar
riage they passed crazy old man sit
ting On the fence and singing about
Seven Black Crows.
Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure Newspa-
paper Syndicate.)