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Show i I Manuis Del Monte. 1 &? 1 PvwalAHIA olio mo tnng just ht-" ht-" fore dawn, tbiiiur u won-Tj1 won-Tj1 riding wem Iv down the -- slope of n i- . r tin. m,.t lSu Wa Kill"') hills me people cull tui'lii liloilliliuiiM wlui It li lie-tvvcen lie-tvvcen tin1 pl'OVincis ol Ismiela imd Kticvn Vl7cn)n Wo lnul been tune! n i ml im.''iI Ii) moonlight, iilul linn as tli' o.tt was growing ids) wo win- Wiiutu i'.mui to it little wood In tln n ! . ,ieio we hoped U llnil ii nioiiul :in siiimiii to give tig witter foi oiii' In i .last nil u thing of fur more liiiprir.nme, muring for tho horses, for It wn , ilt) cii. son, mill the glass on Hi- hills wns imrclied rtml dead 'I ho !rcnkl.it e niiK with mocking ! t,'itiio-.e behind Justin's saddle, lneiel) it h.iiiilfiil or cold rlcu tolldl In the butt of ti Inn .11111 leaf. It wns uNn tllHn nml diiuioi, lor jvo were tinvcllng light nml fust, timl carried not even cliui.oi.ite, nothing but (he rice. I wns watching the g.viutlons of the tirenkfast moodily, for I was leep) nnd hungry nml sine, when sinldcnl) from the wood below ns the now of u cock rang out, flu 111 nml triumphant. I was surprised, for few people live nlong n trull used most!) bj li.uiillts and lieiul hunter. Suddenly from the Mope of it futther Iillt the mil rung out again, mid then the whole wood echoed with the sounds of the fnrni)nrd. "What town is this?" I asked the bojH, although wo were nt hast n day's Journey fiom nny settlement Which I knew. "It is no town, senor," Pn Id .lustin. "It is the nmiiiik del monte the wild chicken which jou hear." After saddles wereoff anil the horse' tacks were washed, the animals rolled nnd grazed Itixuilousty by the swift, ' clear stream, nnd Tranqulil, prince of servants, dexterously unrolled the tirenkfast. i He laid stones on the corners of the I leaf, nnd putted the snowy mas of rlco out smoothly, nnd tilled n bamboo -drinking cup from the brook, while I , pretended not 10 see. At inenl times Tranqulil lias n solemn and Important sir worthy of the most autocratic of London butlers, and I tun a bubo in his tinnds. "Hrcnkfast Is seivcd, Minor," said Tranqulil, gravel). "I conic," I replied, with rpinl ginv-Ity, ginv-Ity, nnd rolled oxer twice anil came up on my knees, Japanese fashion, beside my lowly table. Just ns I was going to plunge my fingers into the rice n cock rroweil loud nml clear among the tries clone nt hand. A great feroclt) of meat hunger swept oxer me. "('he me the boom loom, Justin! I commanded. "Wo will June iiianuk del monte for Ineakfnst." The cock crowed often while I slide through the umlergiowth, as mofll) as the ferns and brUtl) cieepers would let tne. As I drew near the eiowlug teiM'd, nnd 1 Mas peering about the hruMi nml shrub for n sight of the coik when whir! 1'roin the lowei IiiiiiicIioh nf a tree, lift) feet aboxe in) head, a splendid splen-did bird shot out with n boom like u partridge and sailed awa) between the trunks, n ila-'7llng Moii of white nnd green and 'gold. 1 was too startled to Mioot. for 1 had never before seen, chickens that roosted like eagles nnd Hew like pheaniiit-. nnd .were ns brilliant ns humming birds. In n moment I hard his siroug wings beating on the other side of the Mtlle), nnd I went buck and ate my lite t iltilctly. That Incident began my acquaintance with tlio wild chickens, and the) soon grew to bo n ury deaf .urt of the for- ! est life, bringing mo nn odd mixture of pleasant menior) and hoiuosUknesh as I listened to them. Wo liearil them nlwa)x when we mado nnd left our one night homes along the trail. The cocks proved to bo Just as exacting husbands ns their domesticated cousins, crowing their families home anil nbronil with fuss) ntnictiiullty. If n gay joungcockcrc! or n giddy pullet pul-let lingered too long atleld. tho lord of tho Hock grow noisy with anxiety ns tho sunset fnded. With tho dawn he woke, brisk nnd importnnt. nnd woe bctldo tho sleep) head of tho family. There was no "Itousc up, sweet slug-i" slug-i" for liiin, lint mi enr sp ittlng call, .uid wo often chuckled at thought of the sheepish hasto of tho laggard when that sound penetrated to Ids sleep) brain. A tropical forest Is u thing of nwe and ni)Stcry, with Its eternal dim twilight twi-light nnd tangled creepers and liiniiin-crablo liiniiin-crablo dark Usta which hldo Inhabitants Inhabit-ants one seldom hears nnd neor sees. Most of tho creatures seiii to feel the silent Immensity and nguene ns u man docs nud seek safel) In unobtriis-ivoiiesn. unobtriis-ivoiiesn. Tliosc brnvr, clmery birds nlono were nnaffeoted by It, and they crowed and cackled and clucked about their bust-iiuss bust-iiuss of living careluMl)' as if thorp vto no sui'li tiling as four In the ' ' vorhl. Vet with alt th'.li ludpudncQ they i sliowid n b illllng Mi.uiess, and ninny wuks went b) before I intuht more tliuii a dlKtiint glimpse of one. 'I i illiquid hunted them with piluful devotion Hut he whs a child nf the cities, lost In the uintmtiiliis us a puppy would have been. When a o k crowed near a camping place his face would li'lgliten hopefully, and he would go uveplnn w,)i the liulseh sines of a .voting elephant Kmk nml forth he enislied In fie ,nih. piilllng brum lies ffsUle with ici-ssive eaittlon and peeping peep-ing liehiml them. At hist the bird would flush from a tree mul shoot nwn) In a blur of eo'-oied eo'-oied light. Then TrAnqnlil wou.d stinlghien up with a nervous Jerk, nud (i) triumphant. "I here, si'iior, I have found him! IhftchcKoes Irfiok! I.nok '." pointing up to the tree wheie he hud been On these occasions Justin uluuvs la) on the grass and laughed. Justin was a woodland philosopher, and has discovert d that town-bred folk and wild thickens had been sent Into the win M for his amusement. He never deigned to lake an) further part In the pursuit When it enme to stnlkltig a deer or running down a pig he was all eagerness eager-ness nud skill, nnd would lend mo for hours without n thought of rest, but chickens were beneath him. Occasionally, Occasion-ally, however, ns wo rode along, a crow would caw somewhere above us. 'J hen Justin wus full of excitement. "Look, senor!" ho would shout, pointing point-ing up to the empty sky. "I have found him. 'lhore! There!" In spite of Justin's Jesting my desire to see a wild cock face to face only Increased In-creased with repented failure. I never tried to shoot one after that first experience. I would ns soon have thought of shooting at a monkey. Hut I wanted to have one for my ovvr, to look nt, and draw pictures of and show to my poor friends who lived down In tho plains through the hot season nnd complained of prickly licnt. I even dreamed of presenting one to my friend, the captain, nnd letting him create a new and lusty race of fowls, a breed which would meet the hawk lu his own element nnd laugh nt woven wire fences. At Inst, up In n little mountniii village, vil-lage, my oppoi (unity came. Trauquld announced, with the respectful elation lie sometimes permitted himself, that a mini had a wild i ouster. Would tho senor like to tome to see it? The seuor was willing, so we went down Hie nariow gruss-giown stieet together, stepping careful!) over the huhlcs and pigs that wno basking In (he sun In the )iiid of a little tiibledown shack we found a nist.v blown bird tied to a post by a bit of twine about his leg. Tile old man, his owner, scattered scat-tered a few kernels of lorn, and the poor dingy thing petked at them In a half hearted wa). A lien ciinie bustling bust-ling up and he pecked peevishly nt lur once or twice, and then hopped back to ids post and stood there, dull and loiind shouldered, like a sulk) lxy who hud decided that the torn wns not of much impoiluuce, nii)wa), and had put his hands in bis pot keif. I was slow to believe that tills , ould be n brother of the swift, blight bird which had boomed out of a lieetop that first morning, but I presently discovered discov-ered that it was. The long, slcniUr bod), tlie H)vverful wings, tho sharp, heavy bill, weie the product of geneta-tlons geneta-tlons of wild life. And under tho dust and rustlncsB of the feathers there were still (rates of the green nnd gold of the forest. The thaiiL'es were due only to n changed mode of life. 'The innn su)s," explained Tranqulil, "that lie has hud this looster for u long time, nud it Is dirty lie sn)s lie will catch a ('lea n one for I ho seuor. If he pleases." Of course the senor pleased, nnd one bright morning we set nut. The old man, our guide, marched in front most Importantly, for It is not every day thnt one has n chance to show n senor what a clever mail one is at catching wild chickens, and the old man knew that his grandchildren would tell their children nbout tills expedition. Under his nrm he carried a red fighting fight-ing cock. It st nil k me us a bit odd to carry such nn animal on n hunting trip, One feels no surprise in (lie Philippines Phil-ippines in meeting people with roosters under their nrins; It Is quite tho usiinl thing. Tranqulil followed the old man, respectfully hopeful. Then camo Justin, Jus-tin, smiling, and I brought up the rear a mile or so from the village the wall of the forest rose, dark and Impenetrable. Im-penetrable. Hut nt one xlnt n stream t nine down from the hills, and there the field extended Into tho woods for n little way, making a sort of room, cool and shadow), and carpeted with short, thick turf Here te old man hailed nnd waited till wo nil stood about him, Then lit drew from the pocket nf his blouse a bundle of twine, wound ou four iKtlnt-est iKtlnt-est sticks, Justin stopped smiling. An) thing In tho nature of a trap, mi), thing which matched man's wlu ngalutt the Instinct of the wild eiwit-ure. eiwit-ure. Interwted Justin. The old man clioio n spot of level ground nnd set to work. Ho drove otic of Hie little stakes Into the ground, uncoiled un-coiled the twine, drove another, nnd so on, until lie had marked out n square, nbout n yoid on a side. On three sides the twine was carried on tho stakes n few Inches nbove the ground, and from this fence, every linnd's brcndtli or so, hung a little noose of liber. The fourth side of the square wns n wall of brush, and nt the centre of this the old man now diovc a fifth stake, and tied his lighting cock to it by n very short tether. Then he opened nil the little nooses nnd spread them carefully care-fully on the ground' within the square. Justin inspected his work. "it Is very good," he announced nt last. "One would not believe that this old man could be so wise. The wild rooster hears this one. He wishes to light. All roosters wish to light ill-vviijh." ill-vviijh." lie comes from the wood, dancing, danc-ing, so' This one trows and (luffs out his feathers, o! 'Die wild rooster comes to the Utile fence and they look at each other, so'" said Justin, using Trauquld foi illustration, "He cannot puss under the llttl fence; it Is too low. lie tniuiiit step over It; It is too lileh. He hops, so' Ills foot falls In the noose, and -so!" said Justin, dancing danc-ing on one foot and (tickling shrilly. "A bit a. It Is vei) good. 'I ho old lllllll Is much vvlsei than one would think to look nt lilin." The old man listened to this monologue mono-logue with disgust. "Now we shall go and be very qillot. The niaiiiik del monte doea not like noisy ones," he said, glancing nt Justin. So we went unit sat down where some liuhes screened us and jet left us a view of the trap. After half nn hour Justin turled up nud went to sleep. The breeze was cool and the grass was soft, and soon I followed his evnmple. I wns nw akeued b) a bell-like call from the forest. The captive rooster was dancing nt his slake. Presently lio Hupped his wings and stood on tiptoe and answered scornfully. They challenged chal-lenged back nud forth till nt last, with u boom of wings, the wild cock, the very one I hnd been dreaming of, dropped on the grass. As he caught sight of (he traitor he spread nil his splendid plumage and trowed ngilu. And the red bird answered an-swered bi avely. After all, It was not his fault that he was a traitor. The wild bird ran forwnrd with ft swift, steady gait very unlike the nwk. vvnril strides of his tnine cousins, nnd lowered his head nud spread Ills ruff. Then he stood up straight and scratched sticks ami grass Into the nlr with u sturdy leg nnd crowed. The traitor kicked furiously nt his tether, but It held, nud the w lid cock ndvnnced to the fence. Tor n moment the two looked nt each other with lowered heads, mid then they sprang. The traitor, of course, collapsed In nn ignominious hen p. As the wild cock landed Inside the fence, his fool barely touched the ground. Hut the touch wns enoiigii. One of the little nooses tightened nbout ids legs, nnd ns he sprang again lie, too, came down with a Jerk 'Hie birds were rising to face each other when we ran forward, nnd he turned toward us at the noise, I expected ex-pected to see him struggle nindlv to estnpe. Hut the brave little fellow faced us. and flapped his wings and stretched his nei k. i liallenglng us fear-lessl). fear-lessl). In a iiiomeut the old mail had (osspil "n hiiuilkei chief over bis head mid loosiiied (he noose, nud I held him between my hands. I could feel the lithe muscles taut as steel wires beneath my lingers, mid the heart heating furlousl), but he made no sound mid did not struggle. I looked at the lustrous mat kings of his bnck and wings, and the long, drooping (all-feadiors, (all-feadiors, and then all at once ciinie n picture of the draggled, spiritless captive cap-tive baik In (he old man's jiud. ' plucked away the haudkei chief mid tossed him Into the air. Ills wings bent very loud In the still-ness, still-ness, mid we all started. Then I looked round shccplshl). Tranqulil was star-lug star-lug up stupldl), wlih bis mouth In n big, loiind O. Justin was laughing, but suddenly he pointed o.cl!cdl) to Trail-quid's Trail-quid's iiinuth and shouted "Look, s not! I have found Mm. There he goes. Look! Look!" And it would be hard In say vv bother the old man gaod at Justin or me with the deeper disgust. Youth's Companion. Itmr Hit Slurs (limii;?. Of the Ms.H) stais or more that are visible to the naked e)o, tlieie are ho-tween ho-tween llfty ami HH which show conspicuous con-spicuous variations of brightness, and If tho telescopic slurs arc Intituled, the number of known "variables" Is at least lll.ooo. The stars "Dencbola" and "Castor," for cviiuplc, have faded by more than one-half, while "Heto," "Delta" and "llpsllon ('mils Miijorls" aru steadily brightening. There are other stars of n class known as "tent-porar)," "tent-porar)," which suddenly blare out for a few dii)s or weeks mid then gradually grad-ually fade away in a )car or two. Several Sev-eral explanations of these curious variations vari-ations of stellar light nrc given by the distinguished astronomer, Professor Charles A. Young, of I'rlnceton, In an Interesting article in Harper's Weekl), |