Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-12-05
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
a MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
[ooNr1suED FROM LAST 1ssuE.1

CONTINUED FROM LAST ISSUE.
Better keep good place while you've
got it, said the boss. "You are entire
ly unslkilled, and you have been so inn
provldent, eating up all your wages from
day TO day, that you have nothing to fall
back on if you don't get work.
Well" replied Mr.. Fassett, eff I
can't get work for somebody else, Iguess
l can hunt for worms and corn on nv
own account, can t To-
for them.
Must be plenty of places Why, 1
know all this country. Its full of corn
fields, and I'm poor sort of q crow if 1
can't scratch up enough to live on"
The boss crow was astonished at Mr..
Tassett's simplicity.
why" said he, 'sthere amt corn
field i'll days flight where you'll be al
lowed to scratch. 1 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"
81 used to think so myself" said Mr..
Fassett, land l hired man to shoot
them: but since I've been a crow it
doesn't seem to me that there are very
many. Why, never see any flock but
ours in this field?"
''Of course you don't. have to pay
old Roger Rock good round sum for
this field. and I would be a fool to let
anybody but my own crows come here.
And il you amt going to work for me-"
''Who is Roger Rook?" Qui interrupt
ed
Roger Rock. Roger Rock! Don't
know Roger Rook!" exclaimed Outs
boss in establishment 'Well, I 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 me any longer want you to
leave my property. l don't allow any
tramps around here"
well, said Mr.. Fassett, firmly, ''pve
had enough of this, and shall leave"
'Wherell you roost to-night?' asked
the boss. s'Can't let you stay in my
tree, you know"
cpl find roost, replied Mr.. Fassett;
and saying goodbye in friendly way
to his, boss, he rose upward and scared
away.
elm my eye, you'll find a place to
IL 4
to his work of experimenting the opera
tions of the flock in his field.
Poor Fassett! Little did he -ealize
what he had done.
After flying till he was tired, he head
ed for large tree in the middle of the
forest. To his surprise he found its
branches filled with crows. They look
ed suspiciously at him, and he over
heard occasionally word that sounded
like ''spy." For a time no crow came
near him;: but after a while one old fell
Wv q wy
the limb of the tree.
'sWhered you come fron1?" the stran-
ger asked.
"Just gave up u job" replied Qui.
''What at?' the other persisted.
''Watching worm preserve"
'Why'd you give it up?"
SCOT tired working for another fellow
for grub and roost,' said Qui.
The conversation continued cautious
~ for a 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, hadq quit work
ing because they were not satisfied with
the pay. They had managed among
them to- make up a little pile of corn,
with part of which they hired the
tree where they were roosting, living
on the remainder.
'sBut our funds won't hold out long"
said the old crow, land as there are so
many crows out of a 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"
''Sure1y 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 I can get you out of your trouble.
Now, if you -"
s'Hold onp' interrupted the old crow
in excitement. Hold on! Halo, fell
lows, say, here's a chap what says he
can get us out of our fix. Shall we let
him in and hear what he has to say?'
'sWhat's his line?" was croaked from
the crowd.
"Used to watch a Worm preserve" re-
sponded the old chap.
''Naw, we don't want any O. them de-
tective thugs among u.s.
''Tell them," said Qui, shat I am a
lawyer"
'sOh thunder no!' spluttered the
stranger. "rhey're down on lawyers
worse'n the devil. Let me attend to
this
Ou;,s naw ohm, want anonr tho fool,