Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
Share image
1
208
Animal Heroes
·
Ernest Thompson Seton
55
The
birds
were
sent
by
train
to
Chicago,
to
be
liberated
at
intervals
there
according
to
their
handicap,
and
last
of
the
start
was
Arnaux.
They
lost
no
time,
and
outside
of
Chicago
several
of
these
prime
Flyers
joined
by
common
impulse
into
a
racing
flock
that
went
through
air
on
the
same
invisible
track.
A
Homer
may
make
a
straight
line
when
following
his
general
sense
of
direction,
but
when
following
a
familiar
back
track
he
sticks
to
the
well-remembered
landmarks.
Most
of
the
birds
had
been
trained
by
way
of
Columbus
and
Buffalo.
Arnaux
knew
the
Columbus
route,
but
also
he
knew
that
by
Detroit,
and
after
leaving
Lake
Michigan,
he
took
the
straight
line
for
Detroit.
Thus
he
caught
up
on
his
handicap
and
had
the
advantage
of
many
miles.
Detroit,
Buffalo,
Rochester,
with
their
familiar
towers
and
chimneys,
faded
behind
him,
and
Syracuse
was
near
at
hand.
It
was
now
late
afternoon;
six
hundred
miles
in
twelve
hours
he
had
flown
and
was
undoubtedly
leading
the
race;
but
the
usual
thirst
of
the
Flyer
had
attacked
him.
Skimming
over
the
city
roofs,
he
saw
a
loft
of
Pigeons,
and
descending
from
his
high
course
in
two
or
three
great
circles,
he
followed
the
ingoing
Birds
to
the
loft
and
drank
greedily
at
the
water-trough,
as
he
had
often
done
before,
and
as
every
pigeon-lover
hospitably
expects
the
messengers
to
do.
The
owner
of
the
loft
was
there
and
noted
the
strange
Bird.
He
stepped
quietly
to
where
he
could
inspect
him.
One
of
his
own
Pigeons
made
momentary
opposition
to
the
stranger,
and
Arnaux,
sparring
sidewise
with
an
open
wing
in
Pigeon
style,
displayed
the
long
array
of
printed
records.
The
man
was
a
fancier.
His
interest
was
aroused;
he
pulled
the
string
that
shut
the
flying
door,
and
in
a
few
minutes
Arnaux
was
his
prisoner.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
