Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-07-29
A DEAL In OSTRICHES.
ny II. G. WELLS.

'"TallSing of the prices Of birds I've
seen an ostrich that cost $500, sald
the taxidermist, recalling his youth OF
travel "Three hundred pouuus'
He looked at me over his spectacles'
"rve seen another that was refused at
fourl"
NO" he said, "h wasn't any fancy
points. They was just plain ostrlehes'
4 little off color, too-owing to dietary
And there wasn't amy particular re-
striction of the demand, either. You q
80 Thought five ostriches would have
ruled cheap on on East Indtaman. SUI
the point was, one Of 'em had swallowed
a diamond. e.
"rhe chap It got it off was sr
Nobini Padishah, a tremendous SVEN
"a Piccadilly swell, you might say Up
~ the neck Of him, and then an ugly
black head and whooping turoah, WIN
This diamond in ii. The blessed p'lu
peeked suddenly and had it, ana wheh
The cbap made fuss it realized II hao
done wrong. l suppose, and Went anu
mixed itself with the others to preserve
us incog. It all happened in minute,
was among the first to arrive, anu
tbere was this heather going over ms
rods. and two sailors and the man Wnu
lad charge of the birds laughing NJ
"a snlit. 1t was a rummy way OF losing
ia,veI come TO think of it, The mar
IN charge hadn't been about just AT th'
moment, 50 that he didn't know whlcl
bir,l il was. Clean lost, you see
didn't feel half sorry, TO tell you th'
truth. The beggar had been swagger
ing over his blessed diamond ever sine'
he came aboard.
"A thing like that goes from stem L
stern OF ship in no time. EVeryoh
: vas talking about it, Padishah wen
below to hide his feelings. At dinner
he pigged at table by himself MN an
two other Hindoos-the captain KIM
r of ieered at him about it, and he go
2 very excited. He turned round an
I. talked into my ear. He would not pu
A the birds; he would have his diamond
5 He demanded his rights as British SUI
t iect. His diamond must be found
1 was firm upon that. He would appe'
!. 10 the house of lords. The man
charge of the birds was one OF thoS
wooden-headed chaps you cant get
: new idea into anyway. He refused an
proposal to interfere with the oir'
. Inv way of medicine. His instructor
! wore TO feed them so-and-so and tre'
. them so-and-so, and it was as inu'
Is as his place was worth not to feed the
n n so-and-so and treat them so-and-s
n. Padisbah had wanted a stomach pun
though you can't do that to a olI
vou know. This PadiShah was full
Ind law. like most of those blessed lie
rails. and talked of having lien on
birds, and so forth. But an ola pe
who said his son was London oarrlso
argued that what bird swallowed
came ipso facto part of the bird, a
that Padishah's only remedy lay
an action for damages, and even TN
IL might be possible to show contrlt
tory negligence. He hadn't any rig
If way about an ostrich that did
belong to him. That upset Padlsh
extremely, the more so as most OF
expressed an opinion that that was
reasonable view. There wasn't any Ia
yer aboard to settle the matter, so
all talked pretty free. At last, al
Alden. it appears that he came round
the general opinion, and went privat
TO the man in charge and made an OF
for all five ostriches.
The next morning there was a
VI shindy at breakfast. The man hao
any authority to deal with the BIZ
and nothing on earth would induce
to sell; but it seems he told Padisl
that a Eurasiau named Potter had
g.. ready made him an offer, and on I
II Padishah denounced Potter before
iii all. But think the most OF us thou
in, il rather smart of Potter, and | kl
that when Potter said that he'd w
at Alden to London to buy the bi
and would have an answer at Sue
cursed pretty richly at a lost oPl
nas. tunity.
AT Suez, Padishah gave way TO Z
actual wet tears-when Potter bee
in the owner OF the birds, and offered
!" $50 right of for the FIVE, being
than 200 per cent on what Potter
- given. Potter said he'd be hangt
II ne parted with feather of them
he meant to kill them off one by
"a Il. hsrt aff