Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-02-07

hearsal hall, hi&chamber Of sleep and
meditation
He went wild with glee on the first
sunshiny days. hanging down from q
high limb with both feet, while he
swayed up and down. and filed the air
with his barking. mewing. neighing
and laughing.
Rainy days were special delight to
him. He went trailing through the
wet grass. shaking his feathers and
croaking to himself, splashing in the
tub set under the wo0d-house caves
until he was wet to the skin.
Sometimes when went out to call
on him he was nowhere to be found. 1
no Jack. just as / was we'll out OF
sight on my way back to the house. he
would scream out, probably from the
top of the tree: Come on Jack! Come
on. Jack! Come on, herel Ha-ha-
ha-a!"
But usually he was delighted to see
me, and was ready for game, for he
was a very sociable bird. His favorite
game was Catch" He challenged
me by picking up pieces of sticks and
stones and tossing them about
If said: Cali right, Jack, catch it!''
he stood off fifteen or twenty feet and
caught in his bill any thing threw to
him-pebbles. sticks, kernels of corn
and even good-sized potatoes.
During garden-making time Jack
was devoted follower Of the garden
er, and picked up a fine living from
the grubs and beetles and worms that
came up under the hoe. When he
could no longer avail himself of this
source of income. I took the trowel and
we went out to dig expressly on his
account. He got as close as he could
to where my trowel moved and not the
smallest mite of a living thing escaped
his sharp eyes.
After one or two of those feasts of
nectared sweets, as soon as he saw me
take up the trowel, he was off over
the grass with skip. hop and jump.
screaming with delight. You may be
sure he soon knew where I kept that
precious trowel that unlocked for him
the treasures of the earth, and if I
neglected my duty. I soon saw Jack
come hopping painfully along, drag
ging it by the handle, as polite in
timation that it was time breakfast
was ready.
Jack constituted himself guardian
and preserver for the peace of the
premises. To ordinary visitors he
paid no attention, but let tramps or
other uspicious-looking persons ap-
pear, and he flew directly at their feet,
spreading his wings angrily, and utter
ing the most ferocious screams, his
common way of attacking an enemy.
He was very strongly ruled by his
prejudices in the case of some little
negro boys who came every day fof
milk. He was rather friendly than
otherwise toward other children who
came often, but as soon as he saw thess
little fellows creeping in at the baak
gate, he flew in a rage at their fe4t,
spreading his wings and screaming.
He was always called off and scolded
for this. and he always stalked away
trembling with indignation, with the
air of a gentleman whose feelings huve
been needlessly outraged.
He never became reconciled to the
cats. either, of which we always had
goodly number around the pace.
They wanted to be friendly With him
and manifested it as they did with one
another by jumping at him and strik-
ing him softly with their pawa. He
detested this familiarity and would
have nothing to do with tho;n. but
took himself off with great dignity
whenever they came near.
But he revenged himself In a way
that showed his lively sense IF humor.
He was on hand at their feeeing-time
and while they stood around their pan
of milk, tapping it up with their eyes
shut in lazy enjoyment, he would steal
slyly up and tweak the tai! of one of
them.
By the time puss had whirled around
with a howl of pain, he was standing
off at safe distance, picking his toes
and rolling his eyes, the most inno-
cent and Notwithstanding crow in
the world. Puss with her ears laid
back. growing and splitting at him
suspiciously. slowly turned around and
resumed her milk, when the process
was repeated with the next cat, and so
on around the circle
1 might fill II small volume with
Jacks tricks and drOlleries. He was,
indeed. fellow of infinite jest and
most excellent fancy, and became the
favorite of all our many favorites. He
was very handsome for "colored
gentleman" large and finely formed,
black and glistening without fcck of
white from his polished bill to his
polished toes and toe-nails. In the
sunlight his plumage was beautifully
iridescent, showing blue and bronze