Year: 1870




how hot 1t was not breath of wind
down there we could see the hot air
trembling over the ridges In the upper
field, Just as it does over the stove in the
ter.time,-" dry rain" Dave calls 1t.
But IL was Saturday, and we put in to get
it all planted that night, for Mr.. Sim
mond's folks were going to finish theirs
that day ; and Win and couldn't bear
to have Bob and Ed Dragging about
getting through first.


When we went down to work In the
morning there was crow sitting In the
top of hemlock near the fence. he
stayed there for as much as an hour
watching us with an occasional han T-T!
hdw.r.rI And four or five more hew
over the field with one eye turned down
to see what we were doing. They are
old settlers here that have had nests in
the woods down by the brook these
twenty years, father Gays. I'll bet they
saw the corn in the tin dishes, and knew
just as well what was going to be done
as we did. Last year they were very
bold, and cared no more for the scare
crow men we made of old clothes stuffed
with straw than nothing at all. They
would come down into the field foggy
mornings, when we could not see them,
and pull up the corn within rod OF the
worst looking scsrecrow we had. But
one day at the mill old Deacon Murray
told father that ii he should string twine
all round the field the crows wouldn't
light down inside of the twine. de saw
it in his paper, and had tried it.


SO we put down stakes and twined the
whole piece. The thing looked just like a
telegraph, and Will and used to play 1t
ba oto Ioo mi in lnNCplU
and would sway back and forth, 80 that a
pull at one end could be felt at the farther
side of the field, behind the hill and by
tying a bell to the stake at each end we
could send signals, which stood for dis
patches. The Deacon was right about
the twine; the crows didn't come inside
of it. suppose they thought it was q
snare.


Before we went up to dinner we had
put the twine around what we had got
planted. But Mr.. Crow was not to be
fooled that way. When we came back
from dinner we found he had been dining
too. A big black fellow was keeping
watch in The tall hemlock, and when we
came in sight he sang out Justify to his
brother pilferers. There was great flap
ping whole flock flew up and stole
guiltily away among the trees. They had
dug up fifty hills, some of them right un-
der the twins. All through the after
noon, as we worked, they kept sailing
over the field; and we could hear the
young ones cawing from the nests, down
in the woods "rhe twine isn't going to
stop them this year," said father; " we
must try something else"


"Why don't you hang the young crows
up in the field here" said Dave. THAT 8
the way they did at Mr.. Savage's, where
l worked last season. They didn't come
near that field again, tell you"
couldn't help thinking that it was rather
a cruel way; but the prospect of a crow
hunt was so tempting that tried to get
rid OF that feeling, and worked away as
hard as could when father said that if
we got through in time we wonld go
down and have look for the nests, and
try Mr.. Savage's method.


We finished the field about eix o'clock,
and then started after the crows. l carried
the gun, and Dave took an axe. A part
ridge was drumming on his log, and we
stopped TO get shot at him. But he flew
before l fairly got sight of his rutfied
back. Just then we stumbled upon the
nest of the female, who was setting. VIII
almost caught her in his hands. There
were fifteen eggs in the neat, about half as
large ss hens eggs and of clouded gray
color. The great trees, birches and ma
ples, overhung the brook, and the rocks
among which it ran were covered with
mould and moss. The young crows were
still enough now, and through the tree
tops we could see the old birds sailing in
silent anxiety many hundred feet over
head. They didn't allow their fears to
overcome their prudence enough to go
near the nest.


After looking some time we saw nest
in the top of high maple. 1t was hard
one to climb, and il was decided TO cut it
down. Father took the axe; the great
white chips flew from the scarf, and in a
few minutes the tree staggered and with
a harsh roaring crack fell. But we had
our labor for our pains; it was a last
years nest, dry and deserted. 1t really
looked as if the crows would have the
best of this hunt, for it was now getting
dusk. But Wills keen eyes spied another
nest in huge birch. Not to be taken in
again by an o.d nest, we fired charge of
shot at it, and had the satisfaction of see.
ing several black heads pop over the side,
quickly drawn back. How to get to them
was.the next question, for the tree was as
much as three feet through at the ground,
altogether too big to climb "bear fashion,"
and it would be good hours work to cut
it down.


"Fall that tall hemlock which stands on
the other side of the brook into the birch"
said Dave. "Then we can go up the
hemlock into the birch just as easy as one
can go up stairs"


agreed !" and after a few minutes
cutting the hemlock leaned over and
lodged its top across one of the great
birch limbs. But after all it was a rather
perilous looking Staircase" "There,
john" said Dave, turning to me, "theres
a chance 10 distinguish yourself"


"Let me go" exclaimed Willi al saw
the nest first"


"You may try II, john" said father. !
obeyed, and began to creep up the trunk,
but it was pretty hard work, and when ]
had got about forty feet from the stump,
where the tree hung over the brook, il
looked rather "scarey." keep cool, boy,
don't look down Keep your eyes upl'
shouted father.


After tough scramble I got into the
birch and made my way up to the nest
1t was fully fifty feet from the ground,
AS scrambled up the black heads again
peered over the edge; then great com.
motion took place, and shower of dirt
came rattllng down into my eyes. One
by one l drew out the young birds, cav
ing and fqualling, from their cozy era
dle,-glossy black babies, with heads a'
big as kittens, and great black beaks
How they cawed and fiuttered down Il
the ground when dropped them into thu
hands of their enemies below couldn'
help plying the poor little fellows wheI
l thought what cruel death was in store
for them.


/ found getting down easier than gettiul
up. We then went back to the cornfeld
and, setting some long timber poles slant
ingly in the ground, hung the younl
birds by the legs with strings at the end
of the poles Win thought it would b.
a mercy to kill them but Dave said theI
must be left alive in order that their erie
might frighten the old birds. And they
did cry we heard them pleading piteous
ly as we went off to the house ant
going out once during the evening,


could hear them still. had great mint
to go and cut them down after the other
had gone TO bed, as should have done
any one but father had hung them there