Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-07-10
A Parrot Dec0ying the Forrest
Birds within the Range. of
his Masters Rife,


= boatman, who formerly piled between
Little Rock and New Orleans, but who
some years since gave up the business of
boating, and has since led the life of a
hunter, living in a snug cabin at the juno
tion of Big Mammelle creek with the Ar
kansas river. This hunter hermit, whose
name is Nathan Lask, brought with him
from New Orleans, ON making his last
trip to that city, a fine young parrot, to
which he soon became more attached than
to any other thing on earth. Seated upon
his shoulders, the parrot attended him in
all his walks. To train the bird and talk
to it was almost!his sole occupation.
With the careful training of SO loving
a master, added to it's great natural tai
ent for initiating all manner of cries of
birds andsanimals, this bird had become a
marveTof cunning, and a great wonder in
it's way Taken into the hills bordering
Big Mammelle creek, and the signal being
given at intervals, it utters the cry Of the
turkey so perfectly as to deceive the Oldest
and most astute gobbler that strutted.-
On being answered by a gobbler, the pa l.
rot proceeds to lure him to death in the
most fiendishly coquettlsh manner imagi
Unable. Seated on his masters shoulders,
charity and coyly the parrot replies. Once
he has fully attracted the attention of the
vain and anxious gobbler, often allowing
him to call in a fretful tone twice or
thrice before designing to answer, he then
in a few low and tender notes lures the
proud bird of the forest, within range Of
the hunters deadly rifle. Seeing the tur-
key struggling in the agonies of death fills
the parrot with the most fendish delight,
to which he gives utterance in succession
Of blood-chilling E'ha, has +" in all manner
of diabolical tones and keys. Should the
hunter miss his aim, however, the parrot
ruf1es his feathers, croaks and scolds,
pulls his masters hair, and, long refuses to
be EaciGed.
Duck hunting in Forche and Meto ba-
yous is, however, the parrots chief de-
light Seated in the bow of his masters
boat, snugly ensconced in patch of tall
bullrushes, the parrot bursts forth into
such a ''quack, quacking," and general
duck gabblo, that there seems to be in the
vicinity whole flock of these birds, all
enjoying themselves immensely. Thus
are many passing fiocks Of ducks lured
within range of the gun of the hunter.
Geese are in the same way called up by
this wonderful parrot; also many OF her
wild fowl, and even deer, as the bird imi-
tates the plaintive bleating of fawn OF
doe to a nicely. No money would buy the
Bird and Nathan Lask, seen strolling
through the woods gun in hand, and with
his almost inseparable companion seated
ON his left shoulder, seems second Rob-
inson Crusoe.
Although so perfect in his imitation Of
all manner of birds and animals, the par
rot is not a great talker; indeed his vo-
cabulary is limited to a few words and one
or two short phrases. He will some times
sing out, NAT, you lubber," and when
Dan flanagan Ia brother boatman of Mats,
living at the head of Bayou Forch and al
most his only visitor) in his dugout is
seen padding in toward the mouth of
Big Mammelle creek, the parrot-Whose
name we forgot to say is Bobby-will
shout, flanagan, ahoyl flanagan, aa-
hoy!'
The moment Bobby sees his master take
down his gun, he is in a great flutter. He
cocks his head on one side, his great red
eyes sparkling with delight, and in a low,
inquiring tone, says: Turkey? turkeye''
ono, Bobby" Nat will perhaps say, ''ne
turkey to-day" Bobby cocks his head
the other way and softly says, "Quack,
quack, quack ?'' eyes, Bobby says Nat,
s'quack, quack!" Bobby then bursts into
loud cha, ha, ha! ~ and cries, MAT,
you lubber, quack, quack, quack!' Then
he ha, has till the whole cabin rings
again.-Littze Rock (Ark.) Gazette.