“If your tame thief pulls up my corn, I’ll shoot him,” he declared.
“If he troubles the young chickens, he’ll have to go,” said mamma.
“If he spoils my garden, I’ll wring his neck,” asserted grandma.
And, as may be imagined, we suffered considerable anxiety about our pet.
“BEFORE PAPA COULD SEIZE HIS GUN AND REACH THE SCENE OF CONFLICT,
JACK-A-DANDY HAD FLOWN TO THE HEN’S ASSISTANCE.”
One day we were eating dinner, while Jack sat perched on the post-oak near the door.
Suddenly a terrible commotion occurred in the chicken-yard, caused by a hawk which had swooped down and seized a young chicken.
The hen-mother, however, attacked the marauder so furiously that it was unable to carry off its prey immediately, and before papa could seize his gun and reach the scene of conflict, Jack-a-Dandy had flown to the hen’s assistance.
He attacked the hawk so desperately that it dropped its prey, and a terrible combat ensued, in which Jack came off the victor. But not satisfied with this, he pursued the flying enemy a long distance, attacking him sharply when occasion offered.