Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-01-28
BANTAM BOB.


Bantam Bob was little. He did not
know it. At least he did not seem to
| know it. He held up his head and
strutted in his gait as loftily as though
he were the tallest of the Shanghais!
Little dwarf! hardly larger than a
| robin, his weight less than one pound.
| Little, but SO plucky.
Tt is said of his variety of birds:
''They are more courageous and pug
nacious than gamecocks five times
their weight and size-a beautiful ex-
ample of great soul in little body"
Bob was living witness of the truth
of this description seventeen times a
day. Did he not attack, rout and put
to fight every beast, every man,
woman and child-the owners, Frank,
Elmor and Carrie Marsh excepted
| that crossed his PATH? Yes, of course
he did.
| Bob was handsome. He knew it.
At least he seemed to know it. In the
adjoining dooryard was vain pea
back and wings, the blue of whose
| neck, the brown, green and gold and
violet of whose tail made a beautiful
play of colors in the shifting sunlight.
Bob was every whit as vain as the
peacock, else he never would have We'd
with or aped him so. II the peacock
promenaded along the top of the board
fence with naughty air, trying to daz-
zle peoples eyes with his 1ustrous
splendor, Bob would strut up and down
| the gravel walk with an air just as
| naughty and twice as ridiculous.
He seemed to say: Look at the
coarse monster His features are the
colors of the rainbow. My feathers
are every one as white as snow. I am
twice as pretty as he. Hear his harsh
voice. He can't crow. / can" Then
up he would fly to the fence top and
follow right in his rivals footsteps,
growing Justify, until, tired of being
| crowed over by that little midget, the
favorite would vanish, tail and all.
Bob had accomplishments. He would
stand erect upon the palm of Franks
outstretched hand, and, at the word OF
| command, shut both eyes, hide his
head under his wing and pretend to be
| fast asleep.
The Marsh children had so many
pets that they played menagerie with
them on Saturdays. Admittance one
cent and always full house. Frank
had mustang pony, five rabbits, a
woodchuck and coon. Elmer had a
| calf, guinea pig, a lamb and dog.
| Carrie, who was only four years old,
had only tabby and her five kittens.
Bob was joint possession.
These pets would have formed a
"Happy Family had it not been fol
Bob's jealousy. If Frank caressed his
pony, if Elmer patted his calf, or Car
| RE Rugged Tabby, Bob would fly into
their faces like a small fury. Then
| Elmer would seize and stroke him,
Frank feed him loppered milk and Car
| RE call him pet names until his rufffed
feelings were smoothed and Bobby was
himself again. The children had their
| hands fun to keep peace on his &C.
count. Every member of the family
had something against him. He acted
SO. Katy Kos-ta-ma-lasky, the Bohe-
milan hired girl told them ''he had torn
her new ball dress made of pink mo-
squito-netting, and she meant to make a
pie of him, bake it in a patty-pan and
eat that pie herself, hateful little
| rooster"
Frank and Elmer did not believe
Katy and said so. eyes he had" she
| said, 'sshe was at the well talking with
| John Nikota when something came
whack up against the back of her neck.
/ She ran into the house; the door
slammed to; her dress was caught and
dreadfully torn, just ruined"
There, there, you did it yourself, "
cried Frank. Elmer said: '.No bust
ness to wear such slimsy dress. =
They began quarieling, when Carrie
| said: 81 know what made Bob tear
| Katy's dress.' ..WhatP' said all their
| voices in concert. Zoos Bob, he was
| Jealous of Katy's beau This witty
remark of Carries restored harmony
at once, and, no doubt, saved BOb's
life.
Mrs. Marsh was vexed at him and
threatened to have him beheaded be-
cause he flew on to the kitchen table
and ate the top crust off her pies. At
| this threat Carrie seized and hid him
under a sieve in the woodhouse cham
Der, feeding him, in the meantime, so
much rich fruit-cake he came near dy-
ing of dyspepsia.
The music teacher both feared and
hated him because he was for ever
shocking her nerves by jumping sud
denly upon her shoulders and flying
into her face unexpectedly. He hated
her because the noise of her piano
drowned his crows. He wished always
to be heard. But the children be-
friended him and saved his life many q
time. Once though they thought il
was all over with their favorite. He
had not spark Of reverence in that
great soul of his, not an atom. He