JOHN'S HUMMING BIRDS.
BY WILLIAM H. BABCOCL
Copyrtght. IS9T.1
TIIIS is a bit of a lepend- if one must
use such a formidable word that
they tell lilting the shores of Chesopenke
buy. It hns to do with a putriilic Mary
laud ly uiul his lively ulln-a and the
way they routed a Iiriti; vessel of
war w ith its ollicers and err .
That was duriug the moRt doleful
part of the war of 1812, w l en such vis
itors wer' far too common in our water
ways, though often worsted at sea.
John Duluimel, a bnysidu boy of the
vasteru shoro, had heard aud seeu
somewhat of the enemy's doings; he
also had turned out early one morning
with un old shotgun and the militia
to head off un intended raid on the
rounty town. It was a success in the
way of resistance, and uuide him feel
proud and warlike. So he had con
tinued uuliilo in service, and on the
evening of our tale was patrolling very
wearisomely what is known as Town
jmint lieacli. It had its name from an
oltl KfttU'iutMit of the Indians, loiij van
ished except a few shell-heaps and ar
rowheads. A u.ile or two inland lay the camp of
the American fanner-soldiers, merry in
mood a ml a little mixed in discipline,
ipiite ready to lilit again, hut inno
ocntly open to surprise.
.loli n knew the importance of his post,
hut he could not look with favor on au
intcriniiialilt' parade with nobody in
kiirlit. His mind would wander.
So John halted heyond a cliinguapin
IiiKIi near the favored spot, cowering
down i.util he fairly hugged the ground
in the intensity of his vigil. Itwasvery
Mill about him, with the twilight deep
ening. At lirst, indeed, there waasonie
murmurous activity in the hornet's
nest, larger thun hulf u bushel, which
hung from a jutting bough half way up
the ascent. I'.ut with the chill of the
night this gradually subsided; and
grievous to relate, in a very few minutes
our young sentry was sleeping.
That was u pity; for he hod the great
est need to he wide awake. Through
the faint moonlight, one of the lesser
Itritisli wur sloops wus ut that very
moment slow ly approaching. More men
than rightly belonged there, were
packed on board, for their errand was
tine of surprise, and midnight fighting
would follow. The craft could not
stand close in, but lowered a boat in luid
channel. Half -way over, the glint of
a moonbeam on John Duhamel's gun
barrel made them pause it looked so
like un ambush; but the oars dipped
again, wurily, and in a few moments
the slumbercr was surrounded.
Then they understood, and laughed.'
The oilieer in command stood looking
down on the lad, who had been alto
gether too well fed and trained nil his
uuys not to make u comely rnetire, ; ,
It is said that gazing steadily on a
person will waken him. John rose,
quite, suddenly, on his elbow, and
groped about for his gun. Then, as he
reulixed what had come to puss, he
dropped back, his heart turning sick,
lie thought they would perhaps kill or
torment him; it was a nightmare of
helplessness.
It ut whatever might befall, lie must
not meet it lying on his bnek. In a
moment he was on his feet, with the
life coming back in all his veins.
"Whnt are you going to do with me?"
he nsked boldly, though shaking within.
The oilieer joined in the laugh, though
but lightly, and answered with great
good humor:
'Tor helping us? Isn't that rather a
question for your own people? Funcy
sleeping on guard! For you will be on
guard surely?"
He meant, of course, "you are." This
misuse of the future tense was new to
John.
"I will be an angel, I reckon, by the
time you are done with me," he an
swered. "I was watching that otter
slide and somehow, it came over me."
lie felt his cheek turn hot. Vou see,
however he might try to face it out, the
performance was not one to be proud
of.
There was amusement in the officer's
tone as ho inquired:
"Where are your shot-gun people,
since j on are so precise?"
"How do you know there arenny?"
"We made their acquaintance near
Chester-town the other day. Some of
our people, I mean; I wasn't there."
"I was, sir,'
"'.!i-li! Well, you did nicely for be-
ijniijers. hi;, hoy. I hey can t be far
away. Fancy leaving a bright young
VCnlilW'f l It nlniirt ill tlia it-ilrl.ir.n.iua llld
," i. ...v oiiu.ui, nn imc
a Irst sheep of the house of Israel, lint
wli 're art' they?"
I J' liu paused a minute. "If you were
in tv.y place would you tell, sir?" he in
Hu'rcd simply.
Tl.c young man laughed uneasily.
"V o are not sent tor information, snui
'he, "'but we seem to have got into the
svrir.:.';- shop. Vou must go back with
v us. my boy. Maybe the captain can
i mnii' more out of you he isn't u man
tte put up with anything short of an
answer. And yet it's n shome. Whnt's
that about nn otter slide? What will an
ottor-stide?"
,' lie asked these questions musingly.
1 John was very willing to enter on a
harmless topic, and more thon willing
to ttrloy his departure. Dreadful recol
lections rose in his mind of British
prison ships, and he was In some terror
of that dimly-hinted captain. Maybe
they would insist on making an angel of
him, after nil.-
So he explained and expatiated, pour
ing out his full budget of otter lore
with a zest thnt made them stare. It
is not often that a boy lectures on.
natural history for his life.
"A young Buff on!" excliimed hie
captor. "A born naturalist, Z see. Xtj
may stand your friend with the cap-!
tain."
"Is -he a naturalist ?"
Ily that way In taste which Isn't
altogether common in so good a sailor..
Haven't you anything you could bring
along to show?"
"It's clever of you to think of that.
I have right smart at borne, that would
interest him. 1 suppose " he began,
w istfully, with a dawning hope. But
the officer was shaking his bead.
"It's a pity. said John, crestfallen.
"I have tbe finest lot of humming
birds' nests! Did you everseeone?"
"No. We don't have 'em. you know.
They dangle their nests down from
trees, purse fashion, so I'm told."
Probably he had mixed the humming
bird and the oriole in bis mind, for such
knowledge was rather foreign to his
profession.
John opened his eyes at this, but he
had no chnnce to say anything, for his
captor broke out, eagerly: "Why, sure
ly, there's one now? Where can your
eyes be, my lad?"
His own were fastened on the hor
nets' nest. John gazed in astonishment.
Knowing hornets alas, tao well! the
error seemed incredible. lie could
hardly keep in his laughter ns he saw
that the other was in earnest.
"It's right smart of a nest, and they
are good brisk hummers as you will
ever want to see." he answered, like n
judge, for it was beyond him to speak
in his natural way. A possibility was
dawning upon his mind.
"Then get it. and lie quick," urged the
officer, with the air of one who had
little time nnd much work to do.
John began climbing very gingerly.
"It won't do to scare 'em," he explained
in a guarded voice.
"Are they both inside, then? I
thought only one stayed there, for
hatching."
"O they're inside, safe enough. Only
they come out whenever they're dis
turbed." "We must be very cnreful," he ex
plained, "or the captain will miss a real
Be hesitated no more than a 'second
over the strange name, then adopted it
with an old-acquaintance air.
The bald-face. H'mt 'Ah. yea! Now
X recognise the style, of architecture.
, Are thejr very rare about here, these
bald-faceer
I "I reckon there may be a thousand or
more within a half mfie" "or half a
J'"i uc .mini, mniuui;, urnilllg IN
dangerous thing back a little, in spite
of himself.
"A thousand fancy! And all of them
with such wonderful aptitude, such fer
vor of execution!"
"Every one of 'era with aptitude and
fervor," echoed John, wagging his head
sagely. "Especially fervor! Their fer
for of execution is just beyond any
thing! Listen, captain."
As the captain took the net and
bent over the opening compunction
seized the boy.
Tbe captain looked up at him with a
startled air. The boy was edging away,
but with a face aa calm as possible.
The officers had drawn in rather a dense
group about them. Curiosity had
brought most of the men nearer thun
they had any right to be. The captain's
ear w as close to the hornet's doorway.
"Shake it a little," cried John, push
ing gently back through the ring.
"Shnke it a little, sir. They'll strike up
ugain."
A!l eyes were on the captain and the
experiment. "It is so, he reported."
looking up delightedly. "1 can hear the
birds humming like an aeolian harp.
Yet how they contrive it in such nar
row quarters that passes ine. Yes,
yes, what awakening; what a deepen
ing thrill in the tone; how rich und
warm nh! ai! ai!"
For his enthusiasm iiad quickened
theirs, and he was getting the thrill
and warmth in a most bewildering way.
One hand fought the air wildly about
his eyes; the other dashed away his
tormenting prize. It struck the deck
violently in the midst of the crowd,
"OP WHAT VARIETY T
surprise. He hns never seen anything
like it I am sure. I want to get them
there asleep."
"Hadn't we better stop the opening?"
said the ofllcer, making a motion that
way.
"Don't, don't!" exclaimed John, step
ping hack. "1 II get 'em there sufe; j
never fear." Inwardly he was wonder-
ing how much longer tho miracle of i
tneir quietness would last. Iiut the
cold had made them stupid.
The oilieer wondered, too, chiefly at
John's behavior.
"i.'ome on then," he said, in a dissatis
fied tone.
They had found nothing as yet but
this boy und his "humming birds," and
whether uny good would come of that
seemed very doubtful. It would not
have been doubtful at nil, if he hnd
known.
On the wny to the sloop John went
through a deal of anxiety, with alterna
tions of hope and four. Luckily he
climbed the side in one of his braver
turns, and it held, lie stood coolly
enough' on one side, us bidden, while
his captor mnde his report; and he
watched with rather more than Interest
the Jove of this little world his height
anil portliness, and rather pompous dig
nity. It wns a. pity, John thought, to
spoil such n fine figure of a man; but
why couldn't great English captains
stay nt home nnd let other people alone?
Presently they brought the prisoner
nearer to be questioned; und befora
many words had passed, he felt thnt.
under all this pretentiousness there was
some hollowness. For in truth, here
wns a man with a queer twist in his
vanity; not content with what he really
knew, he was absurdly willing to put
forth counterfeit claims to science, of
which he knew hardly anything.
"Ah!" said he. "n young a very
young American soldier. And some
thing of a naturalist, too, they tell me.
'ow I myself take an interest in all
such lines of investigation." He turned
to the nest with n gravely interested
air. "Of what variety?" he asked.
John's heart beat fast. Was it possi
ble that the captain, too, could take
that thing for a bird's nest? ?
"The bald faces," replied John, with
tho utmost effrontery.
As he spoke there came into his mind
these little frontlets so burning a
memory of what portended that his lips
writhed in spite of him. Surely he mnst
be found out now. But the captain
wns riding too high a horse to see any
thing. 1 Maybe his credit with all whom
he commanded was at stake.
bursting on feet and knees and planks,
filling ull the uir with insect fury and
the yells of men.
Iiy this time John Uuhamcl was at
the taffrail, in full flight from both
kinds of wrath to come. Overboard he
went headlong, with a great splash.
When he came up, something washed
against him a piece of hewn timber
from the shore, as he afterward found,
lie seized it, and the incoming tide bore
him quickly away.
In a few moments he could see tbe
indescribuble commotion behind, the
men battling as if with demons.
Discipline wub no longer possible; of
ficers and men alike went nearly fran
tic. Hands and garments were flour
ished wildly in the uir, heads ducked
under covering, forms jostled blindly
against each other, voices bowled and
sereumed and swore. "Devils! DevilB!"
cried some one.
"No!" called (back John, still within
hearing, at full compass of lungs. "Not
devils; only Americans! Along-suffering
race, but they make things lively
when they turn. Good luck to your
humming birds!"
That drew a scathing volley of mus
ket bulls and curses; but be hnd little
Reed to fear any arm out of that Tophet.
Resides, there was only moonlight on
the water; there were no splashes very
near him.
lie bad done hia work and retrieved
the lost ground. As the water ran out
of bis ears the roll of a drum filled
them from over the land, while distant
voices proved thnt at last the Ameri
can camp was now astir. Whatever
else befell, there would be no further
surprise that night.
As be ran ashore he saw the white
wings of the sloop spreading, and the
anchor drawn up on tbe side but with
loud complaints and uproar, as though
their vengeful insect visitors took fresh
umbrage at every motion and would not
let them be. This disturbance continued
until tho hostile vessel was quite be
yond earshot, and no one ever knew
just when the fight ended or the pur
suit grew weary,
John was very much more than for
given, in consideration of having routed
the enemy single-handed, with no
trouble to anybody; and his "humming
birds" have been rewarded for their
good service by an honored place In tra
dition ever since.
Some people, when they are forced to
do a thing, have the faculty of doing it
as if they wanted to all the time.
Washington Democrat.
Nourish
Him.
That's the whole secret In a
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For sale at 50 cts. and $1X0 fey all
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SCOTT A BOWNE, New York.
SUSCRIBE FpR
THE llJBIimi.
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Price fl.OO per bottle, sent prepaid
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Address Harry Logue, 10U W. Fourth
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E1 urn te Your JIowil.-i Willi CHU-'iiretn.
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MIBDLEBURGH, PA.
FURNITURE, CARPETS AND CHINA
ISriiilit Dew desijfiis look out. from
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:0:
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Liberal Adjustments
I . .1yi,1 v
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GENERAL INSyMRee AGENCY,"""
SBLINSGBOYH FAt
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The Undersigned Offer The Public Their EN
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We are not t't'llluff out, Nut we do this to Increase our sales above uiiyprol
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Soft VVood Chamber Suits l4.00;Cottoii Ton Mattress V
.. iii.uu: woven wire Mattress i.i
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Special Attention Given to Undertakin?; & Embalming
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TO CONSUMPTIVES.
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Her. EDWARD A. WIUON,
u-io-lyr Brooklyn, New York
An Important Question.
If your trtonds or neighbors are sufterlnir from
coughs, colds, sore throat, or any throat or lung
disease (Including consumption), ask them ft
they have ever used otto's cure. This famous
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Larue size its and tocts. , .
THE OLD ESTABLISHED
Merchants7 House?-
Third Street Above CallowhlH,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
, Under New Management
Kates $1.50 a day, . ;
$5.00 per Week.
Win. F. Miller, Prop'r.
A NEW
. . EfJTERPRI
AT
OPPBNHEIMBS'S
Hl&oloiiEiWi.
Now is tbe time to make larj,r:ij
in Boys', Youths' ana Mem
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we can give our castome"
the benefit of same.
FALL AND WINTER J
" BEADY MADE CLOTHflh
v Uemetf.
ber we are Head-quarters for Gents' Furnishing Gooj
Hats, Trunks, Satchels, Umbrellas, Etc. You mil W
money by buying or
3H f
rail I La Hero BliikcU
Ana
Lap Kobes
II, Oppanhoimor
TWortftt tit
rove,
he.
lit I
on,
Pnti
urn
th
lo
'nal
faitl
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for
to.