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The Seaforth News, 1926-03-25, Page 6THE LOST PIGEON --,BY J. H. S. Two eager facespeeredintently out asafoetida with which he had sprinki o.f the little window overlooking the ed the fiat was eaten.. flat, and tarred from side to side, with "That's prime!" he ejaculated with hushed whispers, as the soots[ of little satisfaction. "Honest or not, we've. pattering feet drew near, got those two chaps. Now, don't you "Look, Jack, there's a fine fellow!"' be a cad, Bert Ray, and preach about cried the ba leaning out the furthest,' two common pigeons,. Keep your hon- Y bi e pointinguttpointingto the stately white pigeon esty for gg r things.,, that slowly strutted into view from The tone of contempt brought the behind the chimney, and, with arching color in the other lad's face, and he neck and Iow' coo; began eating the gave his comrade a dig with his elbow, food scattered profusely about. as he said hotly: "There's another!" whispered.Jaek "Its a pity You haven't a share of as: a seoend pompous follow emerged into view and joined the first cosier at his repast, The fluttering of wings and cooing of many hungry birds sounded above the boys' heads,and down there swoop- od a dozen or so of pigeons beside the two sit angers. r"- s -fight confusion was apparent.in the ranks, and one or two old feiows rayed the intruders suspiciously, as if t;lemanding the reason of their appear ranee on their premises without bid- ding. The two boys watched anxiously from the attic -window, and spoke in it! If I find out that it is a mean thing to snare pigeons this way, I'll stop it, and thrash you out of your boots if you laugh at me:: Mind that, Jack Clark!"' Jack returned the dig of the elbow with a kick on_ Bert's shin, and a quarrel seemed imminent, ° which, in their present position, would have landed both on their heads on the flat, or ontheir backs in the attic, when a diversion was created by the : appear- ance of a third pigeon, which mune fluttering down in the midst of the group of white birds, like a little gray nun in a snow -drift. Daintily it arched its head, with its subdued tones: pink -tinted crest, as if saluting the "Do you think they'll stay, Jack?" company, and then began pecking at questioned ono. "Let's watch awhile. the enticing food lying under its slim, Stick Somers says he gets all he wants this way, and we did just as he told us, so wo ought to be as lucky." Jack leaned so far out to watch the council going on among the pigeons that Bert Ray caught him by Ms trou- sers and held on tightly, for fear he would disappear from his view, and appear so suddenly to the startled birds that their own as well as the stranger ones would fly away. "All right!" panted Jack, with his black feet. "Look, Bert, look;'' shouted Jack, in a whisper, administering an amicable kick in his delight. "That's no common fellow! We're in luck!" Bert forgot his conscience as he re- garded their last prize, and shared his companion's exultation, as they watched the pretty gray creature, that seemed to have conquered the pigeons as well as themselves, for they were showing her all the attention and ad - mfrs it will tion possible in pigeon gallantry. " head down, the stuff is strong, hold me, just clutch tight; I want to see those fellows good.' Bert held on to the seat of the trou- sers with both hands, while Jack craned his head sideways to look disappointment, and he watched eager - round the corner of the chimney bo ly the result of her indecision. discover what decision the strangers "I wish she'd go in the trap," he had arrived at—whether to remain in muttered, shifting himself to look the settlement or return to the own- down at the box-trapplaced near the ers they were being enticed from. " The sudden meaning of what they chimney."'Fraid she won't stay?" asked were doing came into Bert's mind as he held on, and his cheek flushed with conscious 'shame: "I say, Jack," he cried, hauling him But a certain restlessness in her wings, as if to take sudden flight, and a sideways turn of her head, as if she were looking from the housetop down upon her hone, caused Jack a sense of "Yes. Guess she's a pet pigeon, and isn't so easy coaxed away. Hurrah! She's in, sure!" yelled Jack, as the in, until he hung suspended on his stomach again, and glared around at little gray stranger, after looking eau- tiously at the trap, finally walked in, him fiercely: to peck at the:tempting food spread. "You're a deuce of a fellow!"so plenteously inside, wheezed Jack, the wind nearly knock- The lid fell with a click that caused ed out of him by his rapid retrograde the pigeons to rise in a body, and set - movement Did yothink you were tie down again like big snowflakes, hauling up a bucket?"after the faint alarm was over, and Bert peeped out the window before the gray pigeon was a prisoner in its replying, a troubled look on his bright narrow cage. ace, and after watching the two Jack pulled Bert down by the legs, strange pigeons for awhile, as they as he slipped down himself, and stood cooed and arched their snowy throats upright in the low attic -room. in familiar conversation with their ,That will do for to -day," he said, new friends, said soberly: complacently, "They're going to stay! Aren't we stealing them, Jack?" way down thhe dark stairs. as they groped their Jack ducked in his head so rapidly "Dick Somers said that drug would at this startling suggestion that he lost his balance on the window -sill and went backward on the floor, which, be- ing about three feet from the window, gave him a good shaking up, without hurting him. But, as he was not an amiable boy, the tumble made him mad, and he was• ly, and left the cmrvereatton to has in no mood lo listen to compunctions more heedless companion. of conscience, when he arose sheepish- The thought had again risen in his ly to his feet and looked up at Bert, mind that their conduct; had •not been hanging so easily an his perch. altogether honest, and that the fact "Stealing?" he said, sullenly."Don't of other boys doing- the .same thing all the boys• do it? There isn't a felloww'auld not make their fault any loss around anywhere that doesn't get half He was not old enough to argue the his pigeons this way." point, logically; he only felt tha. "But, Jack, they aro not ours, We are entcing them away from some one, perhaps, who has paid for then:. It doesn't seen honest," persisted Bert, brit watching the birds eagerly engrossed with vast pigeon enterpris the while, as the strangers carne fur- es, which, if successful, would take al ther up the fiat, and made themselves the other boys' property from them and increase his own to such 50 ex tent that the old gray flat would • siva the celebrated pigeon -roost which travelers tell of, somewhere in Soot America. Bert was determined to seek a so.0 Strutted •around, and how much of the tion of the thought that puzzled him WOMAN RULER OF INDIAN STATE. The shove photograph shows -the Begum of Bhopal, the only woman ruler of an Indian state, in her royal robes. The photograph -1s particularly in- teresting in view of the fact that the Begum is never seen in public unveiled. from his father, and hischeekburned' with a sense of pride that his father would say at once whether it was Jack Began; a double -shuffle a few feet off, but listened slyly to the con- versation. right or wrong, and not laugh, as he "'Cause that's the way they do," had heard Jack's father do once, when said the girl, indignantly, "They'tice he had told the lad it was no harm to all the pigeons they can, an then call steal a car ride, for the company 'em theirs." charged one cent too much anyhow. "And you call it stealing?" asked But Bert did not get a chance to Bert, with a remembrance of his own consult his father, for company inter- convictions. fered, and after studyin his lessons "Course it is. They don't buy 'em, he went to bed, to toss and dream but takes 'ear way from folks as does, about the little gray pigeon. or has 'em give to 'em, like mine was." He joined Jack en the corner, where Jack drew nearer, and regarded the they usually met to go to school, and girl silently. his mind was 'triads ,up to do what he "Say; Tuppence," he burst out, shy - thought was right.•ly, "is pours a gray one, with pinkish topknot?" ed upfib mouth to a big0, thou The child turned blew eagerly to him, bewbreath "Yes,yes! Oh lew his through itt shrilly, , please, do you know P making a noise like the popping of where it is?" champagne bottles. Bert looked at his friend with kind - But Bertie would not laugh; he was ly eyes, but he -was too intent on dig - But a loose brick with his boot to notice it. "Yes," he said, slowly; "do you want it?" A burst of tears answered him, as the child hid her face in her shawl. "It's all I've got," she sobbed, "Mother's out washing all day, an' no an' Little Lady, as I call her,•'cause It was a little, thin, plainly clad she is so nice and pretty in her ways, has nobody but ourselves till night - girl, with big, sad eyes, that looked too time. I should be that lonesome if big and too wise for such a little she were gone. I cried all night for frail raw. I her; an' mother, she's staying from The two bright, healthyg lads, well work to help me hunt her." dressed and hurrying along ;with firnt,� Jack kicked the brick out into the straight strides, nearly walked over street. the mite, not knowing she meant to "All right," he said. "You wait speak to them, until school is out, and P11 bring you "Hello!" cried Jack, as he pulled up' the' pigeon. I !.now where you live." ' quickly. "What do you want I h i '' f d Jack looked askahce at him, and afraid Jack would win him over if he ging p the toe of gave way to his merry mood, and he plodded soberly onward with the mien of a great inventor. •As the two boys came abreast of a little street that ran back of their horses a small figure crime suddenly around the corner and approached them timidly. catch them. I don't see how they can like such nasty stuff Guess we'd bet- ter let tho gray 'un stay in the box for a few days, and then she will be tamed by the time she gets out, and won't leave. I say, Bert, talk." But Bert Ray was pondering deep - something was wrong about it, and feeling so, it must be so, as he could not shake off the sense of wrongdoing He hurried off home, leaving Jack "Neither have we;' said Jack, es 5' than o go A o wit at g l roughly. "Come on Bert; we'll be sword or pistol g 5 , late.” the two lads leaked thoughtful -y at - Bert stood his' ground firmly, and each other, their bright faces flushed The girl's s face was overjoyed, as The child looked frightened, and she ran home to tell -her good news. drew• back. Her big eyes sought Betf5 The two boys went on toward school face with an appeal, and the boy gave in silence. Bert's heart was full, and Jack a reproachful push, to make himhe wanted to tell his friend what a "Whati girt?" he asked fine fellow he thought him for doing is it, little g 1 , the right thing so bravely, but his kindly. hold his peace, Tho child flushed; her hands held grave face and bent head,deterred him.the thin shawl close to her. "Oh, please!" she panted. "Do you They reached the sclieel-house, and keep boyspigeons?"Jack spoke. y a "It was stealing, after all, Bert. Jack gave a hearty laugh. "It 'I didn't see it in that light at first, Xes, but not for sale, young 'un. and thought that if other boy did_it, Bert nudged him nearer to the curb- I had a right to do the same; but I stone. t I guess no one has a right to do a mean Wel?" or. your chaff, Jack. Why, little or' dishonest thing." ,„Cause, began the child, with Bert grasped his hand warmly. „Ne,' old boy, that's what my father ready tears,"I've—I've lost mine, an says; and also that itis greater brav- I asked every schoolboy that went by• ery to tell the truth` against all odds, this corner this morning, an'none on 'em has got it." and to be honest for thesake of hone t t td fi ht with at home. Jack raised himself on the window- sill again, and took a enrvey before settling (he question of honesty.. His Shttrp, black eyes sparkled es he saw hew contentedly the two pigeons 1 paid no heed to the pull his comrade , gave hiss. h "Have you lost a pigeon?" he asked the child. - "Yes; some boy has .stealed it!" "How do you know that?" REG'LAR FELLERS --'By Gere Bry>taes. I HERB 145 t6 FELLERS; -MG 1G SQL7ifAti t1 NIULLA :12 - t~• 11-2b N.,�.ne.•-.- with deep `.feeling, then they went into the school -room, and the day's work began. But all through the routine of the recitation the child's lost pigeon dwelt in Jack Clark's mind, and' the words Iii 1t)'LessoiSm- U° ;ID-. New Series by WYNNEFERGUSON author ^'rgu son on auction as e' l-•opYldglit 1925 by rloyle,:Jr. ARTICLE No. 24 the sixth trick, one of the players real- ized what had happened and called at- tention to the error, The case was re- ferred by telephone to a member of the card committee of a well-known club. This, player was noted for his seine of humor and ruled that Z must continue to play the hand;'.f;ut'that-for"the re- mauling seven tricks, "diamonds:' must be trumps. Truly a most remarkable, situation and a truly humorous solution. The trick bidder is with us once again and this time the trick bid proved a costly experiment: - Some time ago the writer heard of the dummy playing the hand, instead of the declarer, and that the mistake was not discovered until the completion of the fourth trick. An even more aston- ishing error has just been brought tothe writer's attention. Z dealt and bid one diamond A bid twoclubs- and all passed. For some unknown reason, A. got it into his head that Z had obtained the final bid so led to, the first trick. What is still more remarkable, the other players didn't notice the error and Z proceeded to play the hand and with. clubs as trumps. At the completion of Hearts— Q, 10, 8, 7 Clubs — K, 10, 9, 6 Diamonds-- none Spades —`Q, J, 6, 5, 3 Hearts -6, 2 Clubs—A, 3 Diamonds— K, 8,. 7, 5, 3, 2 Spades—A, 10, 8 • X A Hearts — K, J, 5, 4, 3' - Clubs. -7, 4, 2 Diamonds—A, J, 10, 6. Spades -4- No score, first game. Z dealt and passed, A bid one no-trump, Y doubled and B passed. Z bid.two hearts, A and Y passed and B bid two no-trump. Z and A passed and Y now decided that it was a good time for a trick bid. He figured that if he bid three . hearts, his op- ponents would probably pass and that game would be impossible. On the other hand, if he .bid three clubs, he would probably get doubled, and then if he bid three hearts, his opponents would also double that and thus give him game if he made the bid. For those reasons, he bid three clubs and sure enough B doubled. Z now got scary' and bio{ three diamonds which A doub- led. Y now had -the chance he had planned for so bid three hearts. B doub- led three hearts and all passed. A had the opening lead and here's where the trick bid acted as a boomerang for A decided that he would lead the ace of clubs because of his partner's double of three clubs. His natural opening ir- respective of the three clubs' double was the ace of spades so that the only effect of Y's trick bid was to indicate to his opponents the only lead that would de- feat the three heart bid. The club lead Hearts— A, 9 Clubs—Q, J, 8, 5 Diamonds - Q, 9, 4 Spades K, 9, 7, 2 defeats the bid one trick while the spade lead enables the declarer to set up the spade suit and just make his contract. Y's trick bid was very foxxyy but didn't produce the results expected. The play of the hand is usually more interesting than the bidding and the player who can obtain' the maximum number of tricks isthe one most ad- mired:`As a matter of fact the bidding is much more important thanthnplay but the latter is more showy and there- fore more admired. One of the surest ways to win tricks is by forcing discarde. Your. opponents have to guess which card' to let go and t as usual with guesses, they guess wrong more often than right. .On some hands, however, it is possible to force discards ' in such a way that the opponents have ' no defense. When such a,play 'is possi- ble anopponentissaid tobe"squeezed "1 that is, forced to discard winning carers. Good players are always on the look- out for the "squeeze" play and are well , pleased when they get a chance to work it. In thefgllowmg problem, Z had a chance to "squeeze' both A and B on the discard. _ Problem No. 12 hearts --A, 9, 7 Clubs —none Diamonds-- none Spades -9, 7 Hearts— J, 10, 8 Clubs—mine Diamonds — none =Spades— 10, 4 Y c .A Z • Hearts - K, 4 Clubs— 10 Diamonds --J, 6 Spades — none Clubs are trumps and Z is in the lead. -How can he win ell any defense? Solution in the next article. e Hearts — Q, 6, 3 Clubs— none Diamonds —8, 3 Spades—none five tricks against of his friend and playfellow made a deep impression upon him, and were the means, in after days, of checking his thoughtlessness, and making him regard truth and honesty with mor -e respect'. and emulation than he had ever yet. done. The little girl received her pet at the promised time. 1. THE WONDERS - OF ,IRD': MIGR+�.';' 'ION More people ,are to -day engaged in observing birds than' ever before in. the ilistorY of the world, The study of - bird migration is one of the outstand- lug things of in'trest in` connection with gaiiring'ren idea of the iifo' history of our feathered friends, largo and: stall. Though individuals in different parts of the world since earliest ageshave giveat muoh time • to this study, the United States Biological. Survey ,has done the greatest work toward help- ing• iu9 to gala an accurate knowledge of birds, and in particular their m4- ' gta,tory habits. For 34 years than sur- veyhas 'been conducted, and aver hair a million different data examines; fur- nls'hed by some 3000 abeervers, Bird migration hes been given par- ticular attention. Frdnr it much, has been learned of their life history,. , though Mystery still surrounds many things iu connection with the feather- ed species. - The majority, of birds migrate at night. Some species do so both by day and- night, as swans, geese, docks, nighthawks, swallows, and .swifts. The average rate of flight is very much less than men at first believed: The ma- -- jority., of small land birds seldom fly -more than 25 melee an hour, and they rarely' fiy more than•a few hours each night, so that the daily advance north in Spring of all species has been aver-• His Candor Served Him Well. The Duke of Orstina, viceroy of Naples, passing through Barcelona, went on board a galley, lying in the harbor, and, passing through the crew of slaves, asked several what their of - renew were. Everyone excused him- self; one said he was sent to the gal- leys out of malice, another because Ills enemy had bribed the judge bat all of them unjustly. - The duke carne at last to a sturdy little black mai., to whom he put the sumo questiou. "My Lord," said he, "I cannot deny that I am featly put here, for .I wanted 'tummy and took a purse neer 'Turco oua to keep' from starv- - The duke, hearing this, gave him two or three blows on the shoulder with his stick, saying, "You rogue, what are you doing auton.g so many honest innocent men? Get you gone out of their company!" The poor fel- low was thereupon set at liberty, while the rest continued to tug at the'oui.- aged at about 25 miles a day, many [•aye being epent in feeding by the way. Non -Stop Flights. On the other hand, there are strik- ing exceptions. ` The Arctic tern year- ly goes. form the Arctic near the North Pole to the Antarcticatter. nesting. This 22,000 -miles it does 4n 22 weeks, an average of 180 miles u'day of flying. But more •wonderful still is the feat of the golden plover of the Pacific in flying from Alaska to. the Hae•alian Islands, a 2000 -mile- non-stop flight across a sea where no island offers' a resting place! It seems incredible, yet yearly a' considerable number of the golden plover succeed in spite of storm '"and fog. Birds undoubtedly have a sense comparable to a man equipped with a compass. The small- est of birds,. the hummingbird, flies 500 miles in a single night when cross - Ing the Gull of Mexico. Another small bird, the black -poll warbler, nests In Alaska and winters In South America, - a 6000 -mile trip. Nineteen species of store birds go yearly from the Arctic Circle to Patagonia, 8000 miles. As an assistance to gaining informa- tion on bird life, the use of bands, made of a bit of aluminum metal, con- taining a number and date, placed around the leg of a captured wild bird, . which is afterward set free, are prov- ing very, satisfactory. • By this. method it is hQpod fully to establish 10015 abort many specles'which as yet are not certainly known. The biological survey at Washington started the work of banding on this continent.. Recently the Cauadlait .Government has lent its ale, and tllo National Parks branch at Ottawa has encour- aged the expertmeuts. A permit" un- der the Migratory Birds Convention Act may be obtained for any one de- siring to carry out such studies. An InterestingPastime. After, considerable' experimenting Mr. Donald Gillingham, an enthusias- tic ornithologist on the Pacific Coast found rho best results could be ob- tained by using the type of trap des- cribed herewith. • The trap is built In,shallowswamp frequented by ducks. It Is matte of poles, with wire netting sides, and two layers 91 old fish net for roofing. --Tire netting does not injure the ducks if sannnwumui;9 gnwi they fly against it in an endeavor to escape. However, it is a pleasing ex - And he Right Afterwards. "Same lieu would rather be right than be. President" - "But most of them want to be Presi- dent first" Modern Buying. "How mucic would it cost to instal an oil burner?" • "Depends on the number of Instal- ments." The Marquess of Londonderry is°the flus,t man to hold the honor of being three ti;lites a Privy Councillor—of Great Britain, of Ireland, and of the. newly -formed Council of Northern Ire. land.- — / x BgTcHA Yob COUCt9 AIDE BEH1I D A LEAD 7 PENCILS do WHY DONTC P WEAR IVO, SWE•ATER5 11' WOULD • YOU LOOK Vit(,•, FAT-1TM,� "A little hot water with sugar in it shaped like a deeply indented heart, Is better than alcohol tor the cure of or water Illy leaf, with a V-shaped ap- fatigue caused by work," said Sir preach some 40 feet long. These ap- Chit 'tors J. Symonds, the famous sur- preaches•uarrow in the centre of trip goon,recentiy. Lo width of about 72 incites. just wide enough to let the duck swim into the Scientistsaro still searching for the trap. Feed' in rho shape of corp. 19 • perfect enbstatice for stitching t plentifully soatLercd along cl?Pronehes u, wounds. Plants,• insect and and in the trap. The, strenge thing is products have all been thoroughiy that lance in; Ilia ducks never see}n to tested have sense -enough to go out Ilte tray they carte. Au old. pieeo cf llsh not 1s draped at eu,d or. the trap in- side. end the hander 6011-35: eaOli litre in turn against this, Where it benorncs entangled and is easily, caught without' hurting It. Its sex, age, species and' any other.ouisiancling fact are 15,031- d on a baud; ,111.1s is fastened lo l.e leg, and th o bird then irelsasttd. A bird released in British Columbia p v- ' Maps a week later will be t mire -.l !n Caliloubt The information 1 tor - `tattled to µ,abbot tat'PO I11e Inter of 'Wad it robs this -work ork t fin in crest. la eat- tlag pastime, ' frau, wine hta t 1 • ri,st,ilt many interesting bits •00 11111111' 1:id. Wry. Paraffin mixed with soap powclCa' will clean 'dirty paint: enamel, or i Orcelrtitl in 'half the tithe required for doing so with Undiluted cleanser, Schoolboys of, twenty years ago were bolter matlrematicians, than these of to -day according to an emin- ent educationist, 1 --ie states that tate pte.seutdav scliolana have toomany distractionb perienoe with this experimenter at least, and doubtless with all, to find how calmly the wild ducks take to cap- ture During the banding of one tho others quietly preened their feathers In one end of neteshowing little fear of the man. The trap is 25 by 13 fent, and Two More Wouldn't Help Much. met 413 .(("Copyrii:hq 1925,. by The still Synilicntc, 1nc:) ii ter^ G -axe ee teeite tier.