Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-01

I w ell. BAlQ LQ0 L 70 . So
den that needs fettling l have not time
/ to attend to it myself, and as it is time the
seed was in, I'll employ you If you are
willing. I'll find you plenty to eat and
drink you can have bed as well and II
! you please me, I'll not see you leave with
+! out few shillings in your pocket. What
81 say agreed" replied the gardener,
! rising to his feet and grasping the land
lords hand. "I'll not begin to morn,
howiver but III look rand, an get riddy
or Monday morn. :"
This proposal was satisfactory, wherefore
the gardener was made happy.
Shortly afterward we had an addition to
our company by the incoming of the old
bird. suffer, whom l shall henceforth call
the naturalist-as this designation was the
one that pleased him-his son, the butter
hy-breeder, and two other men whom l
had not yet seen. These-the strangers
first looked hard at the company but the
naturalist, giving them a significant nod,
which seemed to say, "All right" they
settled down and called for glass of rum
apiece.
By this time the gardener had finished
his dinner, when lputting his arms on the
table, and his head on his arms, he fell, or
seemed to fall asleep. The rain, which
continued to fall down, compelled me to
still abide under cover; so, placing my
chair in corner, and putting my head
against the wall, tried to get nap also.
The naturalist and his companions were
now the only persons in the room besides
the gardener and me.
can not tell half nor quarter of what
was said by first one and then another of
the four persons, nor did l understand
some phrases which they used. ''Bruce
and Wonder, r." fax " and "stuffing
were words often employed by them. |
recolleeted that Bruce was the name of
the dog, and =" Wonder that of the lamb
In the museum before spoken of, and the
other terms, I judged, referred to the ma
terials with which they were stuffed, but l
could not zee why they should speak in so
low tone as they did when they spoke of
them. Once or twice they referred to
bird by some slang phrase. But after
events made this clear enough.
By-and.by the weather took up, when
the men, draining their glasses, got up and
went away The moment they were gone
the gardener reused up, took memorandum
book out of his pocket and began to write
therein. He then asked me if knew who
the men were, and what was their occupa-
ton, and if l had understood any of the
words they uttered in low tone of voice.
1 gave him what information l could.
"But," l said, both they and l believed
yon were asleep"
SIT is well to go into dreamland at
times" he said, and then added, "Did
you say that the old man keeps museum?
Have you seen it? Do you think could
get look at it"
The questions were put one after another
in quick succession as though he were
eager and anxious about something. |
said ''Yes " to each, but was surprised at
the good English he now spoke, and at the
refinement which marked his manners.
Still l could make nothing of it.
pass over the next few days, as they
brought forth no remarkable incident. The
gardener had stuck to his contract with the
landlord, and had been enabled to get on
with my work. The four men did not
again visit US, but as / went on with my
carving saw first one and then another OF
them pass my place. And once l saw
them all in earnest converse in retired
lane.
After supper one night / took the gar
! dener to the barn-like habitation of the old
naturalist. As we went along he asked
| me to take particular notice of the dog and
the lamb, " for" said he, 81 was struck
| with the questions one of the men put to
us as to whether Bruce and Wonder
could take in any more cotton or fax. And
it's just possible" he continued, that he
has a way of taking ont and putting in
the stuffing after the skin has become set
and hard-a thing worth knowing, should
think"
When we got to the house the old man
came to the door, closing it after him. Be-
to see over his collection of preserved ami
mails, he at first seemed perplexed, and
saying, "Ill ask my SOD, he went in,
leaving us outside. Shortly he returned
and said, cit is not convenient to enter
the room tonight, as it is being cleaned
and the contents rearranged. but if your
friend will come tomorrow night, and
come alone, he shall see over the collec-
tion."
We agreed and came away. was at
loss to account for the condition imposed,
but my companion was set up by the ar
rangement.
Night came and the gardener set off on
his errand. l was all impatience for his re-
turn. But when he came back he seemed
unwilling to relate the result of the adj
venture, simply saying:
I'm in no humor for talk tonight. I'll
relate what l have seen and heard to NOR
row."
My friend had got well with his garden.
ing. His potatoes and onions, his turnips
and carrots had been gotten in, and it was
clear that if the next two days should
prove fine he would finish the job on the
Saturday night.
On Friday he came to me in the kitchen,
in a corner of which l was reading, and
asked me to take short walk with him. I
got up and went. The night was fine but
dark. We walked in the direction of the
museum. He asked me if could keep
secret for day or two. Replying in the
affirmative, he said he had strong sus-
picion that the old naturalist or his son was
no better than he should be; that he was
sure he or they knew more about the late
robberies than other folks, and that he be-
lieved if he had a few shillings that he
could call his own, he could come at the
truth, and concluded by asking me for
sovereign for a few days 1 agreed, for l
had begun to feel an unaccountable curl
osity growing within me.
We had not walked far before we met
the naturalist's son. apparently by appoint
ment, for my companion told him that l
had promised him loan, and therefore he
| would be at his fathers house next day
and make a purchase. We parted and
came home.
About the middle of Saturday afternoon
he set off, and in less than an hour he came
back bearing tolerably sized package.
Giving me signal as he passed me joined
him in the back yard. He said
"Im on the track of the thieves, be-
lieve. Last night but one, on reaching the
house, and while looking over the museum,
the old man said that his son was rather
short of money, but having exchanged
frame of moths and few birds for lot of
provisions, if would buy some of the lat.
ter, might sell them at profit, or they
l. o5;tIaz mill