Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-06-24
Battle Of the Troubadours.

ing clothes with snowy shirt and waist.
coat, but had grown respondent during
'Ee night and had tried to commit sui.
eide BY cutting his throat. thus &C
counting for the bloody untidiness of
his immaculate apparel.
A young boy friend Of mine declares
mat this rosy stain is the result of
some mating quarrel, and that TO see
a sroSoeak so bedecked is proof that
ne has been a-wooing recently. This
IS because Tommy once witnessed 4
fierce combat between two male rose
breasts. One day in late April he vas
attracted to a small grove of willows
behind the barn by a beautiful bird
song that rang, clear and challenging.
through the air. As he came nearer
nc made out two songs, or rattle. two
voices singing the same song. The
delivery was peculiar At times tie
melody was rapid and energetic, and
with somewhat of the effect of robins
ardent MARBLE; at times it was quite
mourntul and Plantive; again one
voice would be loud and triumphant.
while the other would be sad and be
sceching.
Following the song, he came nearly
up TO tree, on branch of which
sat two roSe-hrcaStcd grosbeakS, sing
ing wildly At the top of their voices
Their great heavy beaks we're raised
high and their quiyering bodies were
stretched almost upright, so that they
appeared to be Straining on tiptoe after
their notes. On branch opposite
them sat female rose-breast, precn-
ing her dun--brown coat and burnt
yellow blouse as unconcernedly as if
she were the only bird within miles :;
or, perhaps, as vainly as if convinced
that it was her own beauty and attrac-
tiveness that caused this lattering
duet. For it was apparent that the two
birds were rivals for her favor and
were carrying on their concert to Guido
each other and win her regard
Either song alone was sweet
MARBLE, with various emphatic pas
sagcs, and sometimes a plaintive strain
that was very tender and affecting
Now it was loud, clear and sprightly
as if commanding her attention; now il
had a querulous impatience, as if child
ing her for being so cold; now it be.
came pathetic, as il beseeching her &c
have pity. There was a great variety
in the song, even though il was but q
series Of warbled notes; and wher
, sung by two birds, sometimes in unisor
and sometimes in close succession, il
was well worth hearing
All at once, with no pause in tn,
music, the two singers left thei
, branch and flew directly at each other
Poised on their wings, they huttereC
in the air, pecking, biting and striking
> to kill, yet singing sweetly all tn,
while. How they could get out thei
, music while so engaged was mystery
but they fought on to the sound OF thei
; own voices.
warbled one bold troubadour, and al
the time that the sweet refrain was
bursting joyously from his throat he
was striking viciously with his blud.
geon of beak
"Tir-a- lir- -lir- a. lee lee a-lee!" trill.
ed the other more softly, ducking tc
dodge the blow and yet trying to de-
liver a rapierlike thrust of his own
weapon.
Backward, forward, up and down
they went, like two duelists engaged
in earnest swordplay, singing and stab.
bling without ceasing. Once, clingine
TO each other by beak and feather, they
fell down through the leafless branch.
es to the ground, but they bounded up
again and continued the fight in mid
air. Neither made any move to run
away; both stood their ground valiant
ly, futtered, pecked, turned, sang.
Not for a single instant did they
stop their fight or their melodious song
until one dropped to the ground abb
solutely exhausted, his head as bloody
as his breast appeared.
Without pausing to get his breath or
smooth his rumpled plumage the victor
went back to the branch opposite the
desired Dame Rose Breast, and burst
into an ecstasy Of the loudest, most
triumphant MARBLES possible. 1t was
fairly ear-splitting and must have been
maddening to the defeated one. II did
goad him into action, for presently the
poor, exhausted, weary, bleening bird
gathered himself together and half
hOnDed half Gau, auau into .bo ,oJor