Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-01-27
The Unwritten Law
BY MARY MORRISON.

Copyright, Paget Newspaper Service
Wet were the leaves and few, and
the rain, dripping through the almost
hare branches of the trees, was grow.
ing grayer every day. Soon it would
he snow which would fall day by day,
and the wind that walled drearily
now would shrek and rave wildly
through the forest.
1t had been pleasant summer
home for the crows here on Bullhead
pend. Frogs and snakes had been
plenty, and Gaunt, the crow, had pro.
vided handsomely for his family, until
they were all well grown and able
to provide for themselves, but the
frogs were all down in the deep mud
Of the lake now, and would not come
up until spring, and the snakes had
gone Into winter quarters. His chill
dren had left for more prolific feed
ing grounds, and he mistrusted they
had gone to join their fellows at the
roost on Pohannock river. 1t was
time. Last year he had not DELAYED
until this time, but this year-he hop
ped dejectedly along few steps and
dragged one mangled blood-dried
wing helplessly over the wet leaves.
He would never fly with the flock to
the roosting place again. The rank
ing knaw of imbedded bird shot ate
deeper and deeper into his breast
with each day, and each day he skulk-
ed farther and farther from the
haunts of his brethren, like the cow
ard he had grown, knowing that 1t
must come-that sentence from the
Cnwritten law of the wilderness
which every crow knows, and which
he fnows it his sacred duty to carry
cut. He felt, instinctively, the hor-
which awaited him, and which were
setting over him with each passing
day of the waning year, and yet he
hid himself away with painful effort,
sitting motionless under some over
hanging shrub all day until driven
out by hunger.
1t was hard to find food. Yesterday
he had come upon mole burrowing
along under the loose soil and had
clawed him out hungrily. 1t had been
scanty meal for a nav as empt,
as his own, but he was grateful. To-day
he had only been able to find few
dull slugs under the decaying bark
OF an old log. Soon even these
would be locked fast in the grip of
the frost. There was nothing so
and yet he skulked miserably from
day to day and endured its pangs-
why. he did not understand. for he
could end it all so easily. One call
of distress--that was all-and they
would all flock to his assistance. his
wild comrades. He could not under
stand the miserable tremor which
shook him as he remembered this.
Why, he had given the death-blow
himself. gladly and willingly, when
his mate had stricken blind by king
fishers as she was searching their
nest for eggs.
He recalled the fact now. that she,
too. had flown desperately hither and
thither in vain attempt to get away
but they We're merciful and did not
allow her, poor thing. OF all the ter
rible things that befall the wild cres-
lures nothing is more to be dreaded
than blindness. No crow could turn
his back on a blind comrade, nor on
one hopelessly disabled
Nevertheless, he had never cawed
note since the day the hunters shot
had found him. Crows do not lie, and
his only safety lay in silence, a safe
ty that was becoming more terrible
day by day If the shot had only
found vital part, as he had hoped
those first sickening days, he could
have borne it until the end, but now,
with a body demanding food as siren
uously as when he could wing his
way to the top of the tallest tree, this
hampering of crippled wing was
OF his suffering. The wound had
grown stiff and dry and the shattered
bone protruded through the flesh. He
pccked at it viciously. but such an
aronizing thrill shot through the up-
per part OF his breast that he desist-
ed and sat with dropping head under
a leafless shrub of tag alder.
A familiar "Caw, Caw!" sent q
shiver of dread to the tip of his bed
raggled tail, and he huddled up lit
tie closer under the protecting
branches.
1t was cheerful note, and betok-
ened careless, happy-go-lucky com
ride, who had dawdled about his sum.
mer home with few careless mates
like himself.
lie alighted on the ground near by
to peck at snail shell which Gaunt
could have told him was empty; then
his rowing eye caught the dull gleam
of Gaunt's feathers, and he came
nearer with peering, inquisitive saz'
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