Just before the flight, however — oh 

 fatal weakness of her sex! — she cackled. 

 Ben was instantly on guard, and she 

 had no sooner landed than he was by 

 her side and proceeded to inflict such 

 punivShment as he deemed proper. 



"I'll not stand it!" she shrieked hys- 

 terically to Mother Plymouth Rock. 

 'Trince Charlie shall avenge me. He 

 has often said he would gladly die for 

 me." 



The old hen looked thoughtful but 

 said nothing, and Betty hurried away 

 to find Prince Charlie. He was usually 

 quick to answer her first call but this 

 morning she had considerable difficulty 

 in locating him. At length she discov- 

 ered him half buried in a comfortable 

 dust heap. His eyes were shut tight 

 and his sleep must have been exceed- 

 ingly sound for she had to speak three 

 times before he opened them. Then 

 jumping to his feet he shook the dust 

 from his feathers, and in his most de- 

 lightful manner exclaimed: 



"Why, my idear creature, what a 

 pleasure it is to see you! And how 

 very charming you look!" 



"Oh, Charlie!" Betty cried breath- 

 lessly, "I want you to fight Old Ben at 

 once. Did you see that disgraceful per- 

 formance just now?" 



"What performance?" inquired Prince 

 Charlie innocently, deeming it unneces- 

 sary to state just what he had seen 

 peeking from behind a bunch of sun- 

 flower stalks. 



"Old Ben shook me," Betty replied, 

 quivering with indignation at the re- 

 membrance. 



"Is it possible!" Prince Charlie cried 

 in surprise. "I had no idea Ben was 

 such a playful old chap." 



"It wasn't play at all," Betty de- 

 clared, her comb growing redder than 

 ever. "It was just — just disgusting, 

 that's what it was, and I want you to 

 punish him terribly. He will probably 

 kill you before you are through, but of 

 course you won't mind that." 



"Of course not," said Prince Char- 

 lie hastily. "Of course not." Then, 

 after a pause — "I shall quite enjoy it, 

 doubtless. But my dear Betty," he ex- 

 claimed feelingly, "take my life and wel- 

 come, but spare, I implore you, my 



honor," and he swelled out his chest. 

 "Do not ask a young giant like me to 

 attack such a venerable bird as Old 

 Ben. We should respect the aged," he 

 reminded her virtuously. 



"Is that all your fine words amount 

 to!" cried the fair Betty. "Then never 

 dare to speak to me again, never!" 



Prince Charlie watched her little yel- 

 low feet pattering away from him as 

 fast as they could and soliloquized thus: 



"Fight Old Ben! Knew I 'wouldn't 

 mind'! Well I never! It's got so these 

 days a fellow cant be agreeable and 

 make poHte speeches without gome silly 

 thing wanting him to let a crazy old 

 goose pull him to pieces! I'm glad Ben 

 did shake her," he added vindictively. 

 "Wish he'd shake all of 'em." And 

 with that he flung himself down in the 

 dust heap again. 



Hereafter Betty met Prince Charlie 

 with head coldly averted, or disdain- 

 fully tilted, except once when she 

 screamed "coward!" full in his startled 

 face. This was all somewhat trying of 

 course, but Prince Charlie bore it calm- 

 ly, saying to himself, "I will trust to 

 time. Waiting often does more than 

 working, and is quite as agreeable if 

 you only go at it right." 



"Here, you kids, what do you mean 

 by these disgraceful actions!" he de- 

 manded sternly of two little chicks tug- 

 ging fiercely at opposite ends of a 

 worm. "Now run away quick." 



The frightened chickens dropped 

 their prize, and as it slid down Prince 

 Charlie's throat he repeated reflective- 

 ly, "If you only go at it right!" My 

 (dear Miss Leghorn," turning affably to 

 a white leghorn passing, "with what 

 matchless elegance you always carry 

 your feathers! And can any color equal 

 white!" 



Miss Leghorn simpered, and Prince 

 Charlie (after a careful survey of the 

 yard) flew to the top of a post and 

 crowed. The crow was so entirely sat- 

 isfactory he was about to repeat it, 

 when he noticed Master Bantum tear- 

 ing down the lane at such a pace that 

 his short legs were stretching level with 

 the road. 



"Wonder what's up," mused Prince 



42 



