The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-18

him royster away the price of her
feathered flock. For one thing there
were her church dues. Sonny argued
that the circuit rider, a wifeless young
no expense for living, had much less
need of the S. than themselves. Las
saphine listened, smiling obstinately.
She could put in action, not words, her
feeling that it was due herself to pay,
regardless of anything else.
A turkey walk, understand, is sort
of rural lottery, much affected around
holidays in the middle south. As a lot
terry it comes under the ban of strict
church people, certainly there is a
strong element of chance in it. Each
walker pays a stipulated sum for the
privilege of walking-in local parlance
buys his peg" After it is bought he
must walk blindfolded a given number
of steps, and set the peg firmly in the
ground. He who comes nearest to the
stake wins the turkey, or whatever the
prize may be. Commonly ten or dozen
live birds are walked off. The winners
are rarely thrifty enough to take home
their live prizes. Instead, they hand
them over to q negro cook, who serves
them up at a turkey supper toward l
o'clock on Christmas morning. By the
time the supper is eaten it is time to
go out and shoot anvil Christmas guns,
or touch off hollow logs, plugged with
a pound of powder inside.
The back lot was an acre of rough
| turf, stretching between the span-new
Walker house, brave in gaudy paint,
and the squat weathered store, nesting
in the angle of the crossroads. Half
way in it stout stake had been driven.
A pile of roughly whitfield pegs lay be-
side the stores back steps. AS Sonny
came down them with three parts of
the crowd at his heels, he stopped and
gathered the pile under his arm, saying
with a mild pretense of nlistrust:
"Yeve all got so much Christmas in
yer bones, consarn yer pictyers, yere as
full OF tricks as so many unbroke mules
but L lay the best gobbler in the
bunch, ye don't play none of 'em on
me-"
Sonny. you shorely don't think
they'd try it, with Lassaphine a-lOok-
in at emp the storekeeper called after
him from the door. Len Haskell SHE'D
stone at Walker. Jack Childers con-
tented himself with a shake of the
fist, Doc Grant made a motion toward
his hip pocket, but dropped his hand
and looked at Lassaphine with: 'TIl
do it-honest Injun, L will-if you say
So"
Lassaphine did not smile-she was
busy with the turkeys, which had set
up d pll1ul uulleIlIS anu peepluS. SOu-
ny lifted out a big bronzy fellow,
swung, him back and forth, head down
ward, once or twice, and said almost
shamefacedly, How much is he worth,
boys? Would you say noW-half a dol
lar?''
"a whole dollar-not a feather goes
for less" Doc Grant said loudly, jing-
ling handful of loose silver.
Il say two" Jack Childers begun.
II III e.E1
nificant touch. Let it go at one" he
said under his breath. 1T hurts her
Lassaphine, you know-to take even
that much. She hates bein' here, but
she CANT well help it,
mo plottin' agin the whites herer'
Grant said, jocularly, setting his
younger rivals arm-length apart. Teeny
Walker darted up to them. Some err
you-all do me a favor, pleased" he said,
breathlessly. Folks are comm so
peart, likely 1 shan't git the chance to
walk at all-but l wanter be in, five
pegs deep, at least-I thought maybe
one er you'd buy EN-, and walk fer
me-"
I'm your mani" Jack said, clutchfng
Teeny's coin and spinning it above his
head. Len grinned good humoredly.
Better lemma have er walk and a
half" he said. Grant laughed, explo-
sively. "Oh, these boys!" he said, step
ping to the wagon side, where instantly
J office and settle, gentlemen! Pegs right
| here, only a dime! Come on, come on!
No such turkeys anywherei"
Come runnin'!' Haskell said, clutch
ing peg and Tipping silver into Son.
| ny's hat. In twinkling ten pegs were
taken. Sonny held up his hand. Cit
yer binder, Doc" he said to Grant
You go first"
Grant whipped out gorgeous red
and-yellow bandanna, Sonny muffied
his eyes securely, then, peg in hand
| he was turned around two or three
times and told to walk toward the GEN.
trail stake. A laughing shout went III
as he shaped a course at right angles
| to it. Walk big Injuni Walk away
Walk SPANISH Tiptoe finel" the rest
called after him as he stepped his al
lotted forty PAGES. He stepped ginge-ly
and so high Lassaphine herself Joined
in the laughing. When he stopped tc
stick his peg, and bumped fairly against
| the lot fence, there was q chorus OF
gleeful howls
"B' Jacks. If I'm to win this fellow
Sam Walker won't have a panel o
| fence left!" he said, pulling off his
binder and rubbing his chin. Here
| you nice young men, put on this same
rag, and let's see if you do any better
with no eyes in your head!"
"One thing sure-we can't do any
worsei" Jack retorted, as Sonny hood
ed Haskell and turned him about. Has
kell had an Indians sense of direction,
! along with hunters trained percep-
ton. He wheeled slowly until lie felt
the wind cut his left cheek, and then
with confident smile went straight
toward the stake, and set his peg with
in yard of it,
Good for Len! Well walked Sure
shot!". the others called.
That's Lens turkey dead to rights
Jack Childers said, I'VE couldn't beat
that if we tried a year. Put up another
turkey, Sonny-and bar Len from walk
ing"
Good as wheat" from the crowd.
Len smiled quite happily ct jest gives
me better chance ter see Lassaphine, .
he said aside to Childers. III walk,
though, fer the next-then you look
out
Here goes for Teeny Walker!" Jack
said, stepping manfully out. A babel OF
shouts assailed him, but he kept
straight ahead and set Teeny's peg re-
specially near the stake. The other
nine walkers went wild-not a one came
within five yards of the winning post.
One luckless fellow brought up at the
store steps-the rest scattered impair
tally about, though each had been NOR
ally certain with his eyes open, that he
could shut them and go straight to the
goal without turning a hair.
TeenyN feel like a sport after this
he's always been sech er piOus little
cuss," Doc Grant said. Haskell nodded
! But he'll be in at the turkey supper.
large as life" he said. You must re-