St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1894-02-03
Dlaces and ordered Billings to fill up

on it," another rcjoined.
| ''Ill bet any un tibet Mike fetches tn
game" Nate Cummings spoke upas ne
| threw log of wood into the fire.
ats a go, Nate. III take you up.
I'll bet yer forty ounces tibet he don't"
"Here it air. Now we put up an
Billings will hold the dust"
Jack Billings was on hand and took
the dust from the men, weighing 1t on
scale to see if it were just weight, and
then he put it away until the time came
when the bet should be won.
Three days passed by, Mike Field had
not yet returned and it only lacked one
more day before it was Christmas. The
committee had completed their work,
the dinner was all arranged for, and the
meats and game were being prepared by
Pete, who flew about the camp with an
air of great Importance.
Christmas eve came, the Snagtownites
were assembled at the Arms and still
there was no sign Of Mike Field. The
members of the committee as we'll as the
others who had been informed of the
Judges expedition, began to grow
anxious and to fear that some
accident had ovcrtaken the man.
Some suggested that search party
be organized but this was squelched
by the committee, who knew that If any
such thing were undertaken all of their
work would be thrown away.
During the night the clouds darkened,
the moon was obscured, and when day
light dawned terrific snow storm was
raging One by one the Snagtownltes
awoke, peered out at the storm and
made their way from their huts as quick
as they could over to the Arms. The
large room was filled with the sayorY
aroma of the cooking, and Pete moved
from the kitchen into the room at fire.
quent intervals. busying himself at set
ting the table He was assisted by
Hattie Billings, the pride of snagtown
and the only daughter of the bonlface,
buxom lass of nineteen, who was capa-
BILE of holding her own against any man
in the camp and who would permit OF
no undue familiarity from any of them.
She had come to the place with her
father and was the only woman in the
camp. The boys treated her like a
queen, but the only one she looked upon
with any favoritism was Mike Field.
"It does look, pards, es eff tn ledge
war not goin' ter keep his promise
about tibet thar turkey" Nate Cummings
exclaimed as he surveyed the decorated
table and smacked his lips at the hot
spiced rum he was slipping. "Wot
think yer, Hat?"
"What do you ask me for?" the girl
asked with toss of her head, as she
t1ounced out of the room. And then
coming in again she said, eff any of you
had had spark of sense you wouldn't
have let him 60"
"Wot has we uns ter do with ltT'
Nate asked with an offended air.
"You had enough. How do you know
but what the Indians may have waylald
him ?"
"Wal, Hat, eff yer goin' to lay tn
blame on us, an of yer say so, We'll start
off now and look arter i'm"
"This is a high time to make such
proposition"
Pete stood in the doorway during this
spat between Nate and Hattie, and a
broad grin spread over his face.
"Nebber mind, Marse Nate" he ex-
claimed. WEES got de coon, and OATS
jest es good es turkey any day in de
week."
Pete was driven back into the kitchen
by Hattie and the miners we're left alone
to discuss the probability of Mike Field
having met with some accident. They
had never known the Judge to fail yet in
anything that he had undertaken, and
even up to one o'clock they still had
hopes that Field would turn up. Nate
looked out of the window and, seeing
how the storm was raging, exclaimed:
"Thar's no chance for the ledge now"
"What's that, Nate!' Hattie asked, as
she came into the room with large
bunch of evergreens, which had been
gathered, and which she hung up in the
centre of the room.
II sed tibet tn ledge won't come ter
time" Nate answered.
''What do you want to ber?" the girl
said, locking down from the box on
which she was standing. -s-.@-
"I'll bet yer twenty ounces O gold
agin kiss tibet he don't an we make
our Christmas dinner off coon instead O.
turkey"
"Ill go you," Hattie exclaimed, as
she Jumped down off the box.
The girl was in exuberant spirits, and
when the other miners offered to make
the same bet with her she accepted
every one of them and made them put up
the dust then and there in the hands of
her father, who took particular pains to
see that the weight was correct. All of
the Snagtownites considered it huge
joke, and that Hattie was to pay the for
felt after the dinner.
Two o'clock was the hour at which the
feast was to commence. When that time
arrived the miners were as hungry rs
bears and were anxious for the signal
to be given for them to take their places.
AS the hands Of the clock pointed to the
hour Of two Hattie stepped out of the
kitchen and exclaimed:
"Boys, stand up and make two lines,
with an alley in the CENTRE"
The miners obeyed with alacrity, won
dering what Hattie could be up to and
imagining that she had found some luck.
'Stand there now," she said, as she
reviewed the line and then darted back
into the kitchen, soon appearing with a
big fowl in her hands. Forward,
March!''
Then with head erect, and holding
aloft the fowl, she marched down be-
tween the rows. She was followed by |
Pete, who carried steaming hot coon |
ON large dish; then came Billings with |
a roasted haunch of venison, and then
sight presented itself to the Snagtownites
that made them stare with open-mouthed
There, in the doorway,
stood Mike Field, holding up dish on
which was one of the largest turkeys
they thought they had ever seen. When
did he come? How did he get there?
Where did he get the bird? 1t was dec