The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-05-29
oURssToRk TELLER
Calvin JOrdan's Crawfish.
youths Comranion.J


youths Comrsnion.I
"Whar you cotched all dem craw-
fishes, Cal? clar, nebber 'spicioned
de crawfish was out Already, arter sich
cold weather"
The speaker-a very black boy, about
twelve years old, with a crownless hat
and ragged pants-had stopped at gate
which a boy about his own age was en-
tering. The latter boy might have been
his twin brother, as far an blackness and
ragged clothes were concerned, only his
hat, instead of being crownless, was
brimless. There was q twinkle in his
eyes, though, as he answered: "a
"Whar did cotch 'em7 Well, amt
a-gwine to tell ye, and hab ebery raga-
muffin in de country a-scoopin' out my
pond. Like crawfsh, eh p AZ -
!" Reckon I doesp and Bill Sterns
smacked his lips at the very thought of
"How 6you like EN- best, billed,
roasted, or in 'bisque r. y1.oNs -
Bill put his head on one side and
meditated. ..ir N|f''l 70
Like bisque' best, but it does take
de awfulsst time TO pick out de meat
ob dem crawfish tails. Reckon roasted
is best,-roasted in de ashes"
Well, 'vites you to crawfsh roast
io-morrer, bout ten O'Clock in de morn
in" rIgIrI rIt1Wat
Reckon your nanny gwine to let us
roast crawfsh in her fireT asked Bill,
"Wct she got to do wild 'its 1 amt
gwine to roast 'em here. Nanny, she'd
roast 'em for us quick 'nough, but she'd
eat 'em all up, too. Powerful fond OBJ
crawfsh is nanny, and she's jest
a-longin' fur 'em now. Why, boy, 1
tell you she wouldn't leave us de heads
evenp OH 4tll4Ny
"Aunt Dorcas must be >an awful
greedy ooman," said Bill, with dis
gusted look. .'.,-.,.., ~.
"stop calm my nanny namesp'
And CABS eyes flashed with anger. "She
amt greedier nor your nanny, Bill
Sterns. Wat you reckon q pore CONAN
can do wild tape-worm foreber a-hol-
lerin' for victuals? OATS wot mann says
she's got, and she eats up eberyting. fur
ef de worm didn't git 'nough, she says
he'd turn to and eat her up himself"
Bilps eyes nearly popped out Of his
head at this astounding revelation,
whilst Cal swelled with Importance ut
being even remotely connected with
such wonder. Bills mother would
probably never arrive at the high dignity
of entertaining such guest. But he
asked.-f ~
"well, den, whar we gwine to roast
'em?'
"Out in de woods, under de big
maple-tree by de creek. But whar is ]
gwine TO put de plaguy crawfsh TO-
nightr
Put 'em in de wash-tub."
"Mam's done put de clothes to soak
can't put 'em nowhar In de yard, Gaze
ole Turk, he'd gobble up ebery one
fore mornin'. Dat ar dog goes rampagin
bout all night, and he eats up eberyting
You won't b'lieve it, but he crunched Z
tuckle-a live tuckle-one nightP
Now Bill didn't believe that there
was dog in the world that could eat
up live turtle, but 1t wouldn't do
with the treat in view, to offend hi
host. So he merely went on with hi
suggestions.
"Put 'em in the hen-house."
dad goes ebery night and sarche
dat ar hen-house for minks and snakes
Let's 60 TO de house and see bout hidin
EN-. Nanny and daddy's done gon'
to town to git some -four, and it'll b
clean dark fore dey gifts back"
The two boys, carrying the basket o
craw6sh between them, went to the hous
and seated themselves to deliberate.
can't put 'em under my bed, caz
i sleeps on pallet" said Cal, with
under mammy's fur ebery blessed nigh
oha -. 90 la~~s.
robber hid daf, Daddy, he'd be sho' :
Gaze he's alters lookin' dar. Ps 'fraid
Bill, that it'll be mighty hard savir
dose craw6sh," and his eyes searche,
wildly for hiding-plsce.
Suddenly his eyes lighted. "Pve 60
itp he cried, springing to his feet an
rafter Just ober de bed? OATS d
'em. She can't climb, nohow. It's m
she sends up when she wants de seet
Hand 'em up to me, Billp FI
He was up like monkey, and emptie
the crawfish into the basket. When
scrambled down, both boys seate
themselves and turned gloating lool
towards their treasure.
"Safe 'nough dere," exclaimed Bill
"But how you gwine to get 'em dow
Cal, 'thout your nanny seein' 'em T
"Oh, she and Dads 'vited to ten
Cousin Molly sfuneral sarmon, way dow
to Ashton Plantation. Dey calk' lat,
e q. . Of a. peep OBJ day, and git bac
"we kin cook de crawfish here, den,
said Bill.
"No, we can't. I amt gwine to chol
'em down in a hurry, and no knowil
when de old folks will come in on u
Dar, hear dat7 Dad, he's singin' I
'Wrastlin Jacob Hes comm, ar
you Jest clar of, Bill, fore dey ri
here. Dey kicks up awful when d.
finds company"
Bill did not wait for another warnin
He stood in wholesome awe of Unc
Jordan's leather strap, which he alwa
seemed TO have handy in his pocket 4
any "lazy, trihess nigger boy"
might find ioafng on his premises.
Uncle Jordan was q wiry, active lit
man, who seemed to move on springs,
quick was he In his movements; shrin
OF fellow, who talked big, and strutt
like bantam, but was the veris
coward that ever ran from danger. Z
wife, stout and slow-motioned, only !
sembled him in dreading everything,
superstitious and timid was she. 8