West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-03-15
AT TIE sPAfG0,"


There Is avery pcediiar custom which
prevails in the rGTal siisGicts of Eouis.-
anna, of witch the oldest fnhabtant can
not ttell. the origin In some points IL
resembles the Old Scott sh game of the
'Wappcnshaw, but il has local and
special features OF its own. which ONLY.
some dead-and gone Acadian ancestor
could explain FNR
AS for the singular name, ii is simply
acorruption OF "Pape kaie'A the Pape y
or "Iop. as il Is called in English
being bright little ird.
The lat9o is n wooden rooster. aailv
decorated with snowy ribbons. land
mounted on pole as q mark or taryet
Prizes arc olteredsso many dollars for
each wing, so much for the head: but
the grand prig falls TO the lucky marks
man who brings down the bird.
"A horseman discouHting before the
gate pf one of the small cottages i'm
Prairle Manon, in Southwestern I.ouisi-
anna noticed great excitement in and
about the house. Men were collected in
groups, guns were being cleaned and
nred, and that dcalcnIng hubbub pre-
vale which the soul of the cxcitable
Acadian delights in.
The gentleman fastened his horse to a
posi-, and approached q venerablelook-
ing old man who SIT on the steps of the
houseTard who was gesticulatinQ and
shouting with the most obstreperous of
the noisy crowd, ff fH fbft
Can you give me lodging tonight,
siTi" he said, taking oil his hat with a
courteous inclination Of his fine head
The ola man took lrss PIPE from his
mouth and stared at the steakcr. who
was q magnificent young man in the un-
dress uniform OF the United States army.
over SIX feet in statue, ne was finely
propQrtioucd, and had faceof sin 1ular
and wsdAedbehuty. There wasa zane.
bag sluBg ovcf hisshduller, aud he held
. rifle
gle coppfcnds past monsieur, - the
old man answered ~ spik not tho
language. 'mcricliu. .ff
'And not one word Of French,
la ghcd the stranger. .'But look here.
OLD fellow ! must make you understand,
Been hunting pointing to the full
game az md enn. @Eost nv way.5'l
walking a out. and turning from right
20 let IN q confused manner 'Wnnt
some supper, nchewing vigorously. "and
above all, want bed LAYING his hcnd
on his hand aud shutting his ewes. oIf
the old coon don't understand that
spc ciklrB pantomine. he's 90 idiotm -
1he,o.d man ccrtaiply uad1stoo all
that was ridiculous in 81, Tor he laughed
aloud, bat courteously ropresscd his
meTiment and answered eravely 'Afy
gs'rcon myson, lean Pabtite. ne sbik
icip ''
Jean Baptstc came up. a cookbook
ing I'D about ghtcen but with
gloomy and dependent face. In fact.
Jean Blpt.sio had Che air Of n person
crushed Nv some misfortune. for whom
the wofld bai no ch1mn lie listened to
the Omccr, ana trans atCd his REQUEST TO
hs Palcr, who hlswefed him in an cx.
cited speech.
'faIy bapa be cay z6lios6 fuM fulI
People come fcefty mile TO shoot 40 re
Fatgo iUmorfows but n monsieur can
sleep in 20 lOfh bon hc can stay Ze first
come he get le best bed
And as im ihc last conner, / get the
loft and thaukiul am for it, p said The
OF ceri with q gay LAUGH fJt isn't
plea ant to be lose in your prairios Mt
night, But my boy, what in the world
"Monscur does not know nc Patqor
IN a tone of astou8uneaf. 'BIon Dieo.
tiht lh eliaINt li lN p DIfN made ont Tc
wood fou pay twenty five cents for
shot /erhon What brings IL down gets
zo big prize. such a pony all bla k, no
white spot. and he run like "a dcorm
- suppose yOn arc g0ing to tfg Tor
thc wohdcrfoi pmyff
''Ah mon Diel, but mol 7 have
broke my nr0 o0d lcy wi1 not end me
ono. Ana uhyf ] sioois best. and zey
IS aloux. lcy wants uc not tre. All.
and ley Is glad wv gun is broke
CanailIe" De mut.cr.d bctwc his .ot
teehas he gluctsa agely q the make
men,
ahs sbaiecf looked around. and
thought 10 himself Chat even in this beau.
tifal isolated region so remote from The
stfuQel nu ambitions ol tho world. envy
and hUcl EourIshcis "Thc boy ha
actually am ulof0u oolt Do thought,
'and ihosc follows must hc o mean set
OF bcggrs io treat him
Look hefe @can Bapu.te hc said