OCR Text |
Show TIIK QITCK WIT OF MRS. (iROt K By Thornton V. Burgvxs Only those are truly fit Who at all times are quick of wit. Mrs. Grouse. Never had Mrs. Grou.ie been in S tlght.r place Right ln the middle of a little open place with nothing to hldo her she was squatting as flat to the ground as she could get, while only a few foot away stood a hunter with a terrible gun. There wore just two things In favor of Mrs. Grouse. One was that she was so near the color of tho dead leaves and grass around her that she was difficult to I see. Thn other was that it hadn't I entered that hunter's head Ihal a I Grouse would be in an open place like that. So tho hunter stood there Idly looking" aboujt, Onco or .wjco he looked straight at Mrs Grouse. She knew by the expression of his eyes that he did not see her On her part Mrs. Grouse kept perfectly still. Was she frightened? Of course she was frightened. She was terribly fright-ned. fright-ned. She ta9 so frightened that It seemed to her that her heart almost Stopped boating. It seemed to her that sooner or later that hunter would ho bound to sec her. She knew that if he should take it Into her head to walk over where she was there would be nothing for it but for her to take to her stout wings. Mrs. Grouse kept her bright eye.s fixed on that hunter Not once did she take them from him. If there should ho a chance for escape she didn't intend to miss It. Presently some one further down the hill ! shouted She know then that there was another hunter. The hunter she was watching shouted back nnd turned his head to look down the hl'l. The very second he turned his head Mrs. Grouse shot Into the air. Such a roar as her wings made' She made all the nolso she could with them, hoping to startle that hunter But that hunter had hunted too Often to be startled In any such manner. He was surprised, very much surprised, but not startled. Tin-second Tin-second he heard the roar of those wings ho whirled around and brought his terrible gun to his shoulder ready to shot. But ho didn't shoot. No. lr, ie didn't shoot You see, Mrs Grouse didn't give him a chance. Mrs, Grouse kept her bright eyes fixed on ti.at hunter. Instead of flying away from him Mrr Or. ir.. n ,. :t. i!.-'i'. toward him. - H It had taken a second for him to turn n round By the time he had , coi around Mrs. Grouse, was passing l ' ov.r his head and flying like the wind. That meant that he had to 1 turn around again in order to shoot iBl j at her. He did turn. t)f course Ho 1 turned as quickly as he could, and '' , ; I that was very quick Indeed. But by ! the time he- was around Mrs. Grouso was beyond that open plaoe and lp. hlng Sharply down behind a tree. He caught only n glimpse of her. !j . There was no opportunity to shoot. J Mrs. Grouse had saved her life by I her quick wit. Had she flown In any ! other direction that hunter would have had n chance to shoot. As soon !ta she had pitched down behind that tree Mrs. Grouse flew H u.w . darting In ami out around In the j opposite direction from which had j come the voice of that second hunter. 1 When she finally alighted on th igroOnd she ran swiftly for soma Tittle; distance. Then she flew up ln a hem-I hem-I lock tree whose branches were very I think. When she did this she mado ' no boise With her wings. She felt safe I there for the time being, anyway. "My, thrt was a narrow escape"! aid sh to herself, as she looked and . listened for those hunters. And so It (Copyright. 19::. by T W. Burgess.) The next story; 'Tnc' Billy Has a Hard Fall." |