At this juncture, Charlie, in his concealment, flung some corn around the barn door: the gander now redoubled his efforts; he would run ahead, pick up some corn, then run back and tell her how good it was. The goose, evidently hungry, now approached slowly, and began to pick the corn, a train of it extending into the floor; Charlie was so excited he could hear his heart beat. He now crawled out of the barn, and concealed himself outside, and the goose, following up the scattered kernels, entered the floor, when Charlie slammed the door to. He could hardly believe that he had a veritable wild goose unhurt; he flew into the house, where they were all through dinner, and replied to his mother’s question, of where he had been, by taking her and Ben by the hand and dragging them to the barn, where they found the wild goose on the collar beam, and the gander on the floor, vainly striving to entice her down. After being chased from beam to beam, she buried herself in the hay, when they caught her and clipped her wings.
The flax being done out, Sally, with a good smart girl to help her (Sally Merrithew), had linen yarn to bleach to her heart’s content. One forenoon, about eleven o’clock, Ben and Charlie were in the field; Sally had spread some linen yarn on the grass to whiten, and gone in to get dinner. All at once a terrible outcry arose from the house; Sally was screaming, “Ben! Ben! get the gun;” the baby was bawling for dear life, and Sailor barking in concert.
The cause of the outcry was soon manifest. A large fish-hawk was seen sailing along in the direction of the eastern point, with two skeins of Sally’s yarn in his claws, screaming with delight at the richness of his prize.
“Why don’t you fire, Ben?” screamed Sally.
“It’s no use,” said Ben; “he’s out of range.”
“Well, get the axe and cut the tree down this minute.”
“I will, mother,” said Charlie, running to the wood-pile for the axe.
“Stop till after dinner,” said Ben, who had not the most distant idea of cutting the tree down; however, he felt very sorry for Sally, and like a prudent general, permitted her feelings to exhaust themselves. “If I’ve got to cut that great pine down this warm day, I think I must have a cup of tea.” He well knew the soothing effect of a cup of tea.
When they were seated at table, he said,—