The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1893-06-17
A LIVELY ROOSTER.
An Able Seamans Exasperatins Experience
With an Annoying Fowl.

| With an Annoying Fowl
mo, don't believe in ghosts" said
Ephemerides Seltzer at the Social Glee
club the other evening ''You see, l
think that good people go to Heaven
wouldn't come back to eartl for all
Jay Gould's fortune, and as FOR the 9TH
ers, why, they couldn't come back even
it they wanted to. But / will admit
came very near believing in the SUPER
ma tural on one OCCASION and then
Ephemerides relapsed as usual into a
brown study.
| Goodness knows how long this would
have lasted if Ingomar de Vichy had not
quietly touched his gouty toe. This is
an lnfallible way of bringing Ephem-
erides to his senses
After he had calmed his ruffied feel
| ings Ephemerides resumed his talk
about the supernatural Said he,
dreamily, between the puffs of his
cigar
! Il was able seaman on big ship sew
cral years ago. She was what we call
hurricane-decked-th is, completely
decked in fore and aft. Our captain
was great lover of animals We had
four hogs, three dozen chickens Cnclud-
ing four huge roosters), four dogs, three
cats, number of pigeons, black bear,
and some ducks. They lived together
in the greatest harmony. We loved
them all, with the exception of one
great rooster. This bird, whether from
it's actual vileness of disposition or not
l can not say was in the habit of crow
ing all night long in the moonlight
nights when we were running down
the trade winds. AS we only got an
alternate four hours sleep it was the
very devil to turn into your bunk and
! then be kept awake by the most infer
nal eerie Growing we ever heard We
dared not complain, for it was the cap
tains particular pet. The chicken coop
was forward on the main deck, and my
room, with that of the bosons and
other petty officers, was aft.
| '"Well one beautiful moonlight night
we were jogging along cool ten knots
in the North Pacific, when went be-
low to turn in after the middle watch.
was very tired and thought pleasant
ly of sleep. Hardly, however, had
laid my head on the pillow when the
internal cock emitted shrill, clarion
note that almost split my ear. He kept
1T up until was nearly crazy. / never
had thought of murder in my life before
but at that moment evil thoughts got
the better of me. / sneal<ed out OF nv
bunk and looked cautiously around the
main deck. There was that bird crow
ing away at the moon, his head stuck out
OF the coop yard. Silently / stole
along the deck: silently 1 grabbed that
rooster by the throat. One sudden
twist and all was over. Exultant in
my bloodthirstyness, | stole back to
my bunk. I'm for sleep" said l. No
sooner, however, had my head touched
the pillow than cock-a-doodle-dos broke
the stiffness of the night and rose high
above the swish-swish of the waters.
could hardly believe my ears Surely
had killed that bird. put my head
out of the door. There to my utter
astonishment was the rooster Growing
away for dear life.
AS tried to gather my bewildered
senses together saw dark form steal
from the boson's room, l smiled grim
ly. Didn't twist hard enough
thought. THE bosom will settle him,
tho The bosom had club in his
hand. He got to the coop, and just as
the rooster had finished another num-
ber ] could see in the moonlight the
club descend on that birds neck
| "'Silenced this time thought, and
stole to bed comforted. Hardly had my
head touched the pillow when that in
fernal rooster's crow rose more shrilly
than ever on the night air. This time
l was scared. Tremblingly got out of
my bunk and looked out on deck. |
rubbed my eyes. Yes, there was that
brute Growing his loudest. Helpless
and overcome, strange chills crept
down my spine. Again heard a slight
noise, and this time saw the steward
stealthily creep out from the saloon.
In his hand he carried a keen butchers
knife and made tracks like an Indian
warrior for that coop. Now, indeed
the end will come, / thought, the
sweat standing out on my brow He
reached the coop. The ROSTERS
head was stretched out; swish went the
knife and that head fell to the deck. l
distinctly saw the blood squirt from the
severed neck.
II sought my bunk again This time
sleep would undoubtedly come. Imag-
inc my feelings when, as my wearied
eyelids fell together, heard the shrill-
est, most excruciating cock crow of all
time. 1t seemed to penetrate every
corner of the ship. With yell i sprang
to the deck and gazed feverishly along
the deck. / almost tainted when saw
that rooster Growing aloud in the calm
moonlight. Three times had I seen
that brute murdered, and yet there it
was alive and growing. Fear took full
possession of me- How I passed that
watch do not know. l do know that
when eight bells came l staggered on
deck at the cry for all men to muster
aft. / knew something was wrong.
There stood the captain stern and still
on the quarterback. When we were
all aft, Steward, bring them on deck
L.