Jack's carrier pigeons Author:Hezekiah Butterworth Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VL THE SMOKE IN THE SNOW BANK. Jack now hobbled about the place, some days better than others. One day Jack was unable to leave his bed. Father Ta... more »ylor came to see him. The bird seemed listless, except that it moaned and seemed pining. " The bird is pining away for her mate and young ones," said Jack. " She thinks of them now that she can fly. Why not open the window and let her go " The sailor preacher took the bird in his hands, and went to the window, and opened it. It was a clear October morning, and the bird clapped its wings with delight when she felt the air and saw the way open to the sky. She cooed for the first time, lifted her wings, and rose up spirally over the old ISTorth Square. Some of the pigeons on the perches at the opening of the dove cote attempted to follow her, but they fell back. She flew high directly upward, and circled round and round. Then she darted in a straight line toward the northeast. Jack watched her from hia bed. " She is heading towards the Provinces," said the preacher. " I wonder if she will ever come back again ?" asked Jack. " That is indeed a messenger bird— like the one that went out from the ark. I will try to be true as I believe that bird to be true to her own. I have written mother all. I wonder if we will ever see that wing again." " I wonder, too." " We may, wings are providences." " I shall not forget how she mounted from my hands into the sky," said the preacher. " Upward wings, upward wings! Silver and gold they were as she rose into the sunlight. That is the way the old Scriptures describe the wings of a dove. Silver and gold. Oh, those upward wings, and then that little heart turning towards home in the sky! " Jack turned his face towards the pillow, and cried. Jack began to dr...« less