This afternoon was very hot, and the boys spent it in their room,
arranging their books and pictures, and in reading. At five o'clock,
while Thomas was standing by the window, he suddenly exclaimed: "There's
a hawk!" Both the boys ran to the window, and saw a large hawk, sailing
slowly toward the barn.

"He is the one that steals our chickens," said John. "And see, he's
flying straight for the barn. Thomas, run and ask father for the gun."

Mr. Harvey kept two guns in his house; but he used them only for
shooting hawks, when they were flying about to steal the poultry. John
and Thomas had learned to use them, and sometimes spent an afternoon in
firing at a mark. But they never did so without their father's consent.

[Illustration: THE HAWK.]

Thomas soon joined the other boys, having the gun in his hand; and after
Mr. Harvey had bidden them to be careful, they followed in the direction
the hawk was flying. They kept close by the fence, so that it could not
see them. In a short time it was over the barn yard, and sailing round
and round, in order to make a sweep downwards. "Hurry, Thomas," said
John; and Thomas ran stooping along some bushes, followed by John and
Samuel, on their hands and feet. The hawk was now quite low, and the
boys could hear the hens screaming and running about. At last Thomas
reached the barn fence, and his brother told him to fire. But he could
not take aim, because the hawk was partly hidden by the corner of the
barn. "I am afraid he'll get that little chicken," said Samuel. "See if
you can take aim now," whispered John. The hawk now made a sweep at one
of the chickens; but it ran under the barn, and the hawk flew up a