Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-12-01


Before going to bed Caesar Alexander went
| into his small yard, lifted stick or two of
| wood from the turkeys barrel and took q
| long and fond look at his prize. Suddenly a
| hand was laid on his shoulder, and he turned
with quaking knees, expecting to face the
| village constable; but dark as it was he could
see that the hand belonged to gentleman Of
his own color, though one with whom he was
entirely unacquainted-sa kind of old fash
toned lookin' niger, he said when telling the
story afterward. Reassured to find that il
| wasn't the law he had to confront, he put
considerable bravado into his voice as ne said:
"Who are We, anyhow; and what dye want
in gemman's yard at nigdts It's forenenst
the law to creep aroun' honest folks houses
on the sly that way"
@Casarl Cesarl" said the other, without
appearing in the least intimidated; Il am one
of yer ancestors, from way back, and can't
come to yer in daytime because I've been dead
a long time"
Here Caesars teeth chartered and his legs
gave way under him.
"Brace up!" said the ancestor, slapping him
on the shoulder. "Brace up! I'm here for
kerry that turkey back. Ye've done some
thing to disgrace the name of Shakewell, and
won't stand it. The constable will be down
onto We tomorrow mOrnin' fore O'Clock If We
don't, an there'l be a neighborhood scandal
about this bird that'n make the whole race o
Shakewells shake in their graves. Casarl
for the sake of your proud and honorable aim
cestors take that bird back, and tomorrow
take yer gun and go to the woods and git one
o. the turkeys NV yer fathers-an' its bird
that no niger ought to turn up his nose at,
either"
Here the "aincestor" shifted deIghtedly at
something invisible, something in his MEM
DRY apparently, and then went on:
aIt's bird dat no man owns; it's de true
Vahginiah turkey. Tisn't q feathered bird;
'tisn't fowl at all. 1t wears fur, an has
fifty teeth, a bristly tongue, a long prehensi-
BILE tail-you see, Caesar, yer Ancestor
had IafhinLand plaptigrade feet, Caesar, it
has plantigrade feet"
"0gh!" said Cesar, too dazed to utter an
ineligible word
The @aincestor" continued: "Its feet has
as many toes on each foot as a man, and
long, sharp claws on every toe 'cept its inside
one 1t uses dat as a thumb. 1t is q marsupial
turkey, Cesar" Here the ancestor smiled at
the towering proportions of his own learning,
but presently talked on.
.Alive it has an odor ye can't mistake, an
roasted he smells better nor a flower garden.
He's bird worth givin' thanks over. Now,
take dat ole, droOpin', white folks turkey
back to his yowner, and go out ter-morrah and
git de 'possum. de 'riginal turkey OBJ old YAH
giniah, de turkey of yer fathers"-and, 10! the
ancestor vanished
Perspiring at every pore Caesar Alexander
shouIdered the turkey and started toward
Col Fairgroves. Just as he was about to
enter the yard, through the break in the
fence previously made by himself, he felt
another hand laid on his shoulder with con-
siderable emphasis. Fearing that another
and still more terrible ancestor was about to
have speech with him, he sank to the earth.
without daring to look around. Then the |
hand grabbed him more firmly and gave him !
Q vigorous shake. He looked up appealingly |
and confronted the constable. With groan
he tainted dead away.
&What We groanin' and carrying on like an |
animal furr was the next thing he heard |
The question was propounded in his wifes |
most ungentle voice
He opened his eyes slowly and in AFFECT |
fear, and found himself sitting by his own |
Preside, the children in bed and Mrs Shake |
wei standing by him with her hand ON his |
shoulder. He never was so happy in his lie. |
Col Fairgrove's turkey was safe where it be- |
longed; he had never stolen it, and he hadn't |
met any dead and gone ancestor at all, only |
in dreams Furthermore, he inwardly re-
solved that he never would, if ancestors visits |
only followed theftS
The next day when he set Of with his gun
be told Mrs Shakewell that he would bring /
home "Vahginiahn turkey. And he did. |
He held it up with pride and joy on his 10
turn, and was rewarded BY smile from thae
exacting lady.
The possum was eaten with gravy and
RFace, and Mr.. Shakewellb standing in The
Community remained unimpaired As be
bent over his own fragrant thanksgiving |
board he had moro than usual cause for gratE
tudA svahginiah turkeys was good enough
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