Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-05-03


nest. A turkey picks and grazes around,
and saunters about in make-belieye in
difference, all the time working toward
| her nest. When she's Within twenty or
thirty yards of it, she looks around, to
be sure she is not Obsel we'd, and then
suddenly she darts off and runs as fast
as she can to the nest. But she does not
uncover this Immediately, but pecks
around it, listening and watching for
some minutes. If all remains quiet, she
goes to the nestand lays her egg, which
she covers very snugly. The nest is
brush heap. If yOu and Gorilla don't
find the nest tomorrow, I'll go the next
day, and I'll warrant I'll outwit Madam
Gray"
The next morning at o'clock, Zeno-
bia and Gorilla wereout watching to see
old Gray feaVe the barnyard. Gorilla,
l ought to tell you, was a negro girl, a
few months older than Noby. She loved
miss Noby" fondly, though the little
mistress teased her sharply. and called
her "Gorilly."
Madam Turkey seemed in no haste to
quit the barnyard. She went picking
about there, as if there wasn't a nest in
the world in which she had the interest
of straw.
Her don't look like her was studyin'
bout layin' no mow'n muffin" said Co.
rilla, as she sat on brickoat with dust
all about her. 81 neber seed no layin'
tuckey look so onanxious sence | was
bawn. Layin' tuckeys mos always axis
highhutin', like day felt mighty smart.
js like folks does when fuss morred."
81 believe she's started nOw," said No.
by, with some eageTness. Shes got her
face turned toward the orchard
"Er facet said Gorilla, cOntemptuous-
ly. Law, don't call it 10 face hers
got, wifi them thar eyes sottin' way back.
hine folks years.
where folks ears would be, you
mean, my dear Gorilly," said Noby,
laughing.
Her is startin' ter go, show nuff !"
Gorilla exclaimed. Hers tlewed ober
in de peach auchard. l wishes peaches
was ripe, don't you. Miss Noby?"
Look here. Crilly~ cried Zenobia,
needless of the peach question, wed
better run round the orchard, and get
into the woods and hide somewhere
down by the thicket, and be there al
ready wheh old Gray comes"
why, yes!" Gorilla answered, start
ing from her brickbat.
They ran quickly down the side of the
orchard, snatching view of the tur-
key, picking her way along under the
peach trees. Arrived at the wood, the
girls hid in a thicket of tall haZle-
bush. Il wishes haZlenuts wus ripe"
said Gorilla.
when l see her coming" said ZenO-
bia, intent on planning her campaign,
"Ill draw my sunbonnet down over my
face. and the won't know me, will she 2"
NO" said Gorilla, in a tone which
seemed to add, "your own mother
wouldn't know you in that disguise"
"But what's me gwyne ter war ter
hide my face"
your faces so black, Gorilla, that she
couldn't see it in this thick shade if it
wasn't for your white eyes and shiny
teeth"
Law, yer dun no what per's talkin'
bout, Miss Nobyl Ole Gray an mes
been too long 'quainted fer sich foolin'.
Dat tuckey's knowsd me eber sence her
was bawn. Got ter hab sumpin nuther
Ober my face"
"Wait, I'll fix something" said Zene-
bia. She quickly gathered an apronful
of mammoth leaves from a wild grape
vine near. 81 wishes wild grapes wus
ripe" said Gorilla, following Zenobia's
movements.
In lieu of thorns for pins, Noby used
fine twigs in inch lengths, for fastening
| the leaves together. 81 knows what's
yer's up ter" said Gorilla. "Yer's gwyne
ter make me mass to go ober my face
at will be more like vail than
mask" replied Zenobia, dropping the
improvised garment over COrilla's face.
LAW, it's meal bagT cried the ne-
gro, by no means enjoying the warmth
and closeness under the leaves.
Gorilla was right in her characterize
tion; it was bag, hanging below her
aTmpits.
"For goodness sake, Miss Noby, l
can't see muffin! HOw's L gwyne ter
watch dat dar tuckey ef L amt got no
eyes? Mus poke some eyes in de bag,
Miss Noby; mus sol Corilla's voice had
pathetic sound, muffled by the leafbag.
".Well, hold still" said Zenobia, pro-
ceeding to punch holes in the leaves.
-"Sakes live, Miss NObyl any eyes amt
was 'roun on de side my head like
lucky eyes. Desc yere holes'll do fer
years. but can't see huff Vid um.''
Gorilla was quite excited. well,
there, now; that's better, isn't it? said
Zsnobia, soothingly, as she quickly
amended her first work. And none too
soon was this done, for in the same mo-
ment she caught sight of the gray
turkey, treading warily, her head high,
listening, peering-tbe very impersona-
tion of caution.
The girls crouched low in the sun
bonnet and leaf bag, and the turkey
would have passed them without suspi-
cion, though within two yards of them,
if it hadn't been for-well, no wonder
they did it; that turkey did look SO fun
ny standing there looking at the girls
with eye, as though trying to classify
the queer new specimens
Gorilla couldn't contain her amuse
msnt; she giggled, and then, of course,
Zenobia giggled. TheIeupOn the turkey
said: "Whutl whut! tut, tutl put! putt
whutI tut! putt putr'
Zenobia pinched Coriila'S leg. She
meant to say this, keep still, on your
life," OF some such thing. Gorilla inter-
preted it as meaning, do look at that
ridiculous old thing" A snicker came
from the leaf bag that amounted to 4
snort; the turkey hurried away, cluck-
ing and tutting end whutting.
"There now," sold Zenobia, with some |
warmth, you've scared her SO, she'll |
maybe forget herself where her nest is"
said Gorilla, meekly.
Zenobia quickly decided that they |
must follow up the turkey. When they |
again caught sight of her she was some
what quieted, but seemed to be still on
the lookout for danger.
Gorilla was crouched behind some
blackberry bushes, wishing that the ber-
ries were ripe, and Zenobia was behind
Gorilla, wishing that turkeys were not
so secretiss about matter of so little |
Significance as the laying of a few eggs. |
NV. ,, Id Zannhia Anr |