Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-12-26
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
CONTINUED FROM LAST 1ssrr.t

leoN ED FROM LAST ISSUE
Better keep good place while you'v,
got it., said the boss. "You are entire
" unskllled, and you have been so i'm
proVldent' eating up all your wages from
Jay to day, that you have nothing to fal
back on If you don't get work"
We'll" replied Mr.. Fassett, 'ff
can't get work for somebody else, CUES,
can hunt for worms and corn on m,
own account, can't II"
Yes, IL you can find place to hun
for them"
Must be plenty of places Why,
know all this country. Its full of corn
nelds, and I'm poor sort of q crow if
can't scratch up enough to 1.-Two on"
The boss crow was astonishcd at Mr.
Fassett's simplicity.
Why" said he. "there amt a corn
field in days flight where you'll be al
lowed to scratch. hire this field; that
one belongs to another crow; that one
yonder to another; that one to crow
corporation, and so on. The trouble is
that this country is crowded with
crows"
II used to think so myself" said Mr..
Fassett, land | hired man to shoot
them; but since I've been a crow il
doesn't seem to me that there are very
many. Why, l never see any flock but
ours in this field?"
| 'Of course you don't. l have to pay
old Roger Rock a good round sum for
this field, and l would be fool to let
| n n " hut 1.
And il you amt going to work for me-"
who is Roger Rooll?" Qui interrupts
| cd.
Roger Rock! Roger Rock! Dom t
know Roger Rock" exclaimed Outs
boss in astonishment. "Well, l declare!
Why, Roger Rock belongs to one of the
best families. He can trace his ances-
| try back ever so far. He owns all the
| best nest building trees in that forest,
he and Jim Crow, and he owns corn
fields till you can'trest. Inherited them,
you know. But say. if you amt going
to work for mo any longer want you to
leave my property. l don't allow any
tramps around here"
WELL" said Mr.. Fassett, firmly, I've
had enough of this, and / shall leave"
Where II you roost to-night?" asked
the boss. Cant let you stay in my
tree, you know"
"Pll find a roost," replied Mr.. Fassett;
and saying goodbye in friendly way
to his boss, he roso upward and scared
away
"In my eye, you'll find a place to
roost," croaked the boss, as he returned
to his work of uperintending the opera
lions of the flock in his field.
Poor Fassett Little did he realize
what he had done.
After flying till be was tired, he head
ed for large tree in the middle of the
forest TO his surprise he found it's
branches filled with crows. They look
ed suspiciously at him, and he over
l, heard occasionally a word that sounded
like spy" For a time no crow came
near him; but after while one old fell
low walked toward him sideways along
the limb of the tree.
"Where'd you come from?" the stran-
ger asked.
Just gave up job" replied Out
What atp" the other persisted.
watching worm preserve"
why'd you give it up?"
"Got tired working for another fellow
for grub and roost," said Out.
The conversation continued cautious
ly for time on the part of the stranger,
but after awhile with greater freedom.
Qui found that this was a meeting of
crows, who, like himself had quit work
ing because they were not satisfied with
the pay. They had managed among
them to make up little pile OF corn,
with part of which they hired the
tree where they were roosting, living
on the remainder.
'But our funds won't hold out long"
said the old crow, 'and as there are SO
many crows out of job am afraid we
shall have to give in and go to work"
why do you want funds? Qui asked
"Why do we want funds?" exclaimed
the old crow. well, we want funds be-
cause we've got to have something to
eat and place to roost."
Surely you don't need funds on that
account You can scratch for worms
and corn, can't you?''
''Some of us can. but some OF us only
know how to build nests. Some can't
even do that; they have gathered nest
materials all their lives, and others
have done nothing but make up the ma
terials for the builders"
That's right" said Fassett. 81
think l can get you out of your trouble.
Now, If you -"
Hold onv' interrupted the old crow
in excitement. Hold on! HALO fell
lows, l say, here's chap what says he
can get us out Of our fix. Shall we let
him in and hear what he has to say?"
Whats his line?" was croaked from
the crowd.
Used to watch worm preserve" re-
sponded the old chap.
Nav, we don't want any O. them de-
tective thugs arsong u.s."
Tell Them" said Qui, ''that I am
lawyer"
''Oh thunder no~ spluttered the
stranger. They're down on lawyers
worse'n the devil Let me attend to
this"
Outs new chum went among tho flock,
leaving Qui alone. There was great
commotion and croaking, but the old
crow carried his point and Qui was invit-
ed in.
"You mustn't think" said Qui that
I've got any new tangled inventions.
have only single suggestion to make,
and don't understand why it hasn't &C.
Cured to you long ago. Perhaps it's
because you are used to this sort of
thing and am not. Now this old crow
tells me you are in great distress be-