New Britain herald., 1928-02-14
Dy Thornton W. Burgess
 Hnughleg tho Hawk Is Clever For beak and claws there's no ex- Without the wit to guide their use.
 -Roughleg the Hawk

Roughleg ought to know. He has the claws and he has the beak. You know Roughleg l. one of the larger members of the Hawk family. He Is called Roughleg because his legs are feathered almost down to the feet. In the summer he makes his home in the North, but in the winter he comes down to the Green Meadows and there he makes his hunting ground. Now. big as he Is. Roughleg isn't much feared by Peter Rabbit or Happy Jack Squirrel and not at all hy lfr& Grouse. In fact, those who 1.-Two in tho Green Forest do not feaf him, for the very good reason that hs prefers to do his hunting in the open. He does not love the 0reoa Forest, but the Green Mea- dow, and the food he hunts is chief ly mice.
 New, Roughleg, has two methods of hunting. He uses the methods of tive of his cousins, Redtail. who de- lights to it motionless in . treetop until hs sees his prey. and White tail tho Marsh Hawk, who slowly flies back and forth this way and that way just above the tops of the grasses.
 Hie favorite hours for hunting are in tho dusk of early morning and the dusk of early evening. In this respect he Is somewhat ike Hooty the Owl. But he hunts during the day also. So when winter looms Danny and Nanny Meadow Mouse and all their relatives have to keep a sharp eye always on the watch for Rouehleg the Hawk. Danny and Nanny know just where his favor ite perch. is. When they come up to play around on the surface of the snow or to hunt for grass seeds they first look over to the favorite perch of Roughleg. If he is sitting there, still and watchful, they never move far from one of the little holes that leads down under the snow. If he isn't there they look carefully in all directions to see that he isn't flying back and forth over the tops of the grasses.
 Now, the eyes of Roughleg are very keen. They must be to see SO small . person as Danny Meadow Mouse from long distance. Sitting on the top of a certain tree out thoto on the Green Meadows, Roughleg had learned much of Danny and Nanny and their ways. He had discovered that they were watching him whenever they came out on the surface of the snow. Roughleg chuckled to himself. Those mice are altogether too smart" said he. ''They know tlat sit up here and they always look to see if I am here. If want to get one of them I shall have to play a trick of some kind. I shall have to fool them"
 Roughleg flew out and chuckled to himself as he saw Danny and Nanny dart down in the little round holes in tho snow. He flew straight over where they had been. He flew to | fence post not far away. There he settled himself and made himself comfortable. his keen eyes fixed on the little holes in the snow where Danny and Nanny had disappeared. It wasn't long before he saw two little noses appear. For few mo- ments that was all he could see - two little noses. Then two little heads appeared. For few moments that was all he could see. Both lit tie heads were turned toward thai tree where he had been in the habit of sitting 50 much. Then they were turned for a quick look all around. Az he wasn't flying, Danny and Nanny didn't see him. So out they popped, sure that Roughleg