lO NATURE STUDY. 



This bombarding went on until the seventh da^^ when 

 the fatal shot was fired, the water was stained with blood, 

 the happy, innocent life that had harmed no one, but given 

 so much pleasure to the village children, was taken. Go- 

 ing down town, I met two processions. F'ir.st, the gun- 

 ners, a grand company, walking two by two, proudl}^ keep- 

 ing step, with heads erect — the very port of heroism — 

 with no look of ferocity on their faces. How little you 

 can tell bj^ a man's looks what is in his heart — " that mur- 

 der lurks within." Had not their noble spirits led them 

 to endure hardships for seven day.s — sitting on the hard, 

 damp ground in cramped positions, bugs and flies attack- 

 ing them from all sides, eating cold lunches, foregoing 

 golf ? What will a man not endure or go without when 

 this desire to kill something comes over him ? One among 

 them there was who walked with a prouder step and held 

 his head higher than his other comrades, for on his .shoul- 

 der lay a small dead^^uck. 



Closely following this procession was another, of sad- 

 faced children, mourning their friend. Can these chil- 

 dren, growing up under the influence of our humane soci- 

 eties, our nature classes and hosts of nature books, mak- 

 ing them know and love everything that grow.s — can they, 

 as their fathers before them, love to kill ju.st for sport? 

 Time alone can tell. 



Newton Center, Mass. 



