[CHAPTER IX] _The Destroyers_
A loud shouting and a bang that echoed like a clap of thunder throughthe forest awoke the bird-children from their dreams.
Opening their eyes with a start they saw that the gray dawn wasbreaking and a sort of morning twilight made all objects in the forestdistinct, yet not so brilliant as the approaching daylight would.Shadows still lay among the bushes and the thickest branches; butbetween the trees the spaces were clearly visible.
The children, rudely awakened by the riot of noise in their ears, coulddistinguish the barking of dogs, the shouts of men calling to thebrutes, and the scream of an animal in deep distress. Immediatelyafter, there was a whirl overhead and the gray owl settled on the limbbeside their nest.
"They've got her!" she exclaimed, in a trembling, terrified voice. "Themen have shot Mrs. 'Possum dead, and the dogs are now tearing her fourbabies limb from limb!"
"Where are they?" whispered Twinkle, her little heart beating asviolently as if the dread destroyers had always been her mortalenemies.
"Just below us. Isn't it dreadful? We had such a nice night together,and Mrs. 'Possum was so sweet and loving in caring for her little onesand feeding them! And, just as we were nearly home again, the dogssprang upon my friend and the men shot her dead. We had not evensuspected, until then, that our foes were in the forest."
Twinkle and Chubbins craned their necks over the edge of the nest andlooked down. On the ground stood a man and a boy, and two great dogswere growling fiercely and tearing some bloody, revolting object withtheir cruel jaws.
"Look out!" cried the voice of Wisk, the squirrel. "He's aiming atyou--look out!"
They ducked their heads again, just as the gun roared and flamed firebeneath them.
"Oh-h-h!" wailed Mrs. Hootaway, fluttering violently beside them. "Theystruck me that time--the bullet is in my heart. Good-bye, my dears.Remember that--all--is love; all is--love!"
Her voice died away to a whisper, and she toppled from the limb.Twinkle and Chubbins tried to save their dying friend from falling, butthe gray owl was so much bigger than they that they could not supportthe weight of her body. Slowly she sank to the ground and fell upon theearth with a dull sound that was dreadful to hear.
Instantly Twinkle darted from the nest and swooped downward, alightingon the ground beside the owl's quivering body. A big dog came boundingtoward her. The man was reloading his gun, a few paces away.
"Call off your dog!" shouted Twinkle, wildly excited. "How dare youshoot the poor, harmless birds? Call off your dog, I say!"
But, even as she spoke, the words sounded in her own ears strange andunnatural, and more like the chirping of a bird than the language ofmen. The hunter either did not hear her or he did not understand her,and the dog snarled and bared its wicked teeth as it sprang greedilyupon the child-lark.
Twinkle was too terrified to move. She glared upon the approachingmonster helplessly, and it had almost reached her when a black objectfell from the skies with the swiftness of a lightning streak and struckthe dog's back, tearing the flesh with its powerful talons and drivinga stout, merciless beak straight through the skull of the savage brute.
The dog, already dead, straightened out and twitched convulsively. Theman shouted angrily and sprang upon the huge bird that had slain hispet, at the same time swinging his gun like a club.
"Quick!" said the eagle to Twinkle, "mount with me as swiftly as youcan."
With the words he rose into the air and Twinkle darted after him, whileChubbins, seeing their flight from his nest, joined them just in timeto escape a shot from the boy's deadly gun.
The inquisitive squirrel, however, had stuck his head out to see whatwas happening, and one of the leaden bullets buried itself in hisbreast. Chubbins saw him fall back into his hollow and heard hisagonized scream; but he could not stay to help his poor friend. Aninstant later he had joined the eagle and Twinkle, and was flying ashard and swift as his wonderful lark wings could carry him up, up intothe blue sky.
The sunshine touched them now, while below the tragic forest still layburied in gloom.
"We are quite safe here, for I am sure no shot from a gun could reachus," said the eagle. "So let us rest upon our wings for a while. Howlucky it was that I happened to be around in time to rescue you, mylittle friends."
"I am very grateful, indeed," answered Twinkle, holding her wingsoutstretched so that she floated lightly in the air beside her rescuer."If you had been an instant later, the dog would have killed me."
"Very true," returned the eagle. "I saw your danger while I was in theair, and determined to act quickly, although I might myself have beenshot by the man had his gun been loaded. But I have noticed that a boldaction is often successful because it causes surprise, and the foe doesnot know what to do."
"I'm 'shamed of those people," said Chubbins, indignantly. "What righthad they to come to the forest and kill the pretty owl, and the dearlittle squirrel, and the poor mama 'possum and her babies?"
"They had the right of power," said the eagle, calmly. "It would be abeautiful world were there no destroyers of life in it; but the earthand air and water would then soon become so crowded that there wouldnot be room for them all to exist. Don't blame the men."
"But they are cruel," said Twinkle, "and kill innocent, harmless birdsand animals, instead of the wicked ones that could be better spared."
"Cruelty is man's nature," answered the eagle. "Of all created things,men, tigers and snakes are known to be the most cruel. From them weexpect no mercy. But now, what shall be our next movement? I suppose itwill be best for you to keep away from the forest until the men aregone. Would you like to visit my home, and meet my wife and children?"
"Yes, indeed!" cried Twinkle; "if you will be kind enough to let us."
"It will be a great pleasure to me," said the eagle. "Follow meclosely, please."
He began flying again, and they kept at his side. By and by theynoticed a bright, rosy glow coming from a portion of the forest beneaththem.
"What is that?" asked Chubbins.
"It is the place called the Paradise of Birds," answered theirconductor. "It is said to be the most beautiful place in all the world,but no one except the Birds of Paradise are allowed to live there.Those favored birds sometimes enter our part of the forest, but we arenever allowed to enter theirs."
"I'd like to see that place," said Twinkle.
"Well, you two child-larks are different from all other birds,"remarked the eagle, "and for that reason perhaps you would be allowedto visit the paradise that is forbidden the rest of us. If ever I meetone of the beautiful birds that live there, I will ask it to grant youthe privilege."
"Do!" said Twinkle and Chubbins, in one eager breath. They flew for along time, high in the air, but neither of the bird-children seemed totire in the least. They could not go quite as fast as the eagle,however, who moderated his speed so that they could keep up with him.