Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-11-17

will be just about as pretty sight
as you'll see, William Henry!"
Her husband smiled and rubbed his
hands. "Oh, I'm not saying word
against juicy young turkeys on plat
tiers bout Thanksgiving time. What
| object to is their gobbling and strut
ting around and feeling so big"
Don't say anything, William
Henry" replied his wife; "Ivc known
you to gobbIe and strut around and
feel big
1t was still early in the spring, and
the weather was cold, Perhaps 1t was
from this cause that the next day one
Of the young turkeys died, But the
careful nursing Of Mrs. Daisy, to-
gethcr with the good care Of their
foster mother. the little speckled hen,
brought the other six through to
warm weather. BY this time they were
able TO make excursions about the
nearby prairie,
But their troubles were not over
Al the first rain the whole flock crowd
ed under a haystack, and they pressed
forward so hard that one Of them
was smolhcred to death A fortnight
later clicken-hawk swooped down
and carried Off another, although
the little hen fought desperately aud
lost half her feathers in the struggle.
There were but four left now.
But the worst was yet to come. a
week later there was great rain
storm. Shortly before its coming Mrs.
Daisy had seen the turkeys under the
barn, so she supposed them safe; but,
in point Of fact, when it began they
were twenty rods out on the prairie. AT
the first drops the hen began to flut-
ter and cluck wildly in an attempt TO
lead them back, but they refused to
bulge. There on the open prairie they
weathered IT out. and when the rain
ceased and Mrs, Dassy discovered them
and spattered out through the puddles
she found three Of them drowned.
"There the fools WERE" she cried,
coming back, carrying the only living
one left,"aI drowned standing up, with
their mouths open SOS to get the
most of 1t, There never was such fools
as young turkeys!"
81 always said it, Melvira," replied
Mr.. Dassy, gloomily. "They're the big
gest fools in all creation. That ends
our plans for Thanksgiving"
"No, it don't, William Henry" re-
turned his wife, vigorously. This ones
alive, and he's going to stay alive!"
And she rolled him in flannel cloth
and put him in the oven to dry, Mr.,
Dassy shook his head
"No hope, Melvira, no hope" he an
swered. Hell turn up his toes inside
of week. It's bound to come! I've
felt it in my bones all along, Why, If
that turkey can't die any other way,
he'll up and go off and commit sui
eide"
"stop your croalling, William
Henry" said Mrs. Dassy, sharply, "This
turkey is going to live till Thanksgiv-
ing, and then he'll die natural death
for turkeys"
ooh, well, hope so, of course, lie
did pull through the flood frst-rate,
there's no denying that. Almost as
well as Noah did through his food,
That's what We'll call him, Me!vira--
Noah"
"All right, William Henry; his name
is Noah"
Mrs, Dassy was right about Noah's
chances for living; a half-hour in the
oven made him as sprightly as ever.
In fact, he wriggled out of the oven
himself and went plaintively peeping
away out Of the open door to the
specified hen, who was delirious with
joy at the sight Of him.
The storm seemed to mark a turn
ing-point in Noah's life. There was
no more trouble. The rains either
ceased or he defed them. The chick
en-hawks never made any more at
tacks. Indeed they woudshortly have
had trouble in carrying him off, since
he grew with the most astonishing
rapidly. The specified hen was soon
the smaller of the two, and found her
self following behind rs he wandered
here and there. Then he began to
ignore her entirely, and at night took
to roosting on the ridge-pole Of the
barn,
This was too much for the hen; she
gave him up, and he went his own way
in the world. The grasshopper sea-
son came on, and he developed wonder
full skill in catching these insects, to
the great delight of Mr.. Dassy,
81 tell you what, Melvira," he one
day remarked, there isn't another
turk in Nebraska that can gather in
a hopper like that Noah of oursl
You ought to watch him. lie sees a
hopper sitting on blade of grass anc
not thinking about anything, and he
Just up and points him like pointer
dog, and creeps closer and closer
steady, never saying word, his heat
getting a little lower all the time, til
he's just right; then he makes one
shoot and puts up his head sort o
like this, and swallows the hopper,
and Mr., Dassy twisted his neck about
in ludicrous attempt to look like
Noah.
"Well, We got somethi lg else to dc
besides watch n turkey catch hon