The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-11-30
"sEE HIM STAGGER?"

use to roam the country and brave the
guerrillas in search of native birds to
grace the Thanksgiving board. Jake
knew better. He scented game nearer
home
One Of the characters at brigade head
quarters was an unenlisted attache who
in q small way acted as purveyor for the
headquarters mess. The officers were al
ways ready TO pay handsomely for any
special delicacy he could provide. He was
q foreigner. more greedy than cute and
the occasion Of no little amusement for
the officers and men. On one of his trips
north in the summer he brought back
three or four young turkeys to raise on
speculation. When the army Travelled,
the coop was strapped behind Il baggage
wagon or i'll q pinch Oh the back of
mule which the thrifty fellow had picked
up outside the lines.
Jake and the purvcyor, whose sur
name, Small. was an exact definition of
his stature and character, were cronies
for revenue only. Jake often gathered
surplus on his raids, and Small relieved
him of it at a mutual. profit. By the
use of fluttery thickly laid on the BUM
mer acquired 4 prospective interest in the
young turkeys. 1t was q great scheme,
he said, and he would help it out by
giving points on the care of the birds I'M
til killing time. With one of the little
turks he struck up an acquaintance, and
it was soon known as Jake'S pet. Every
attention of the kind and every word of
praise for his long headeGness tickied
Small, whom the officers affected to toll
crate in camp.
November was upon US we'll into the
second week. Corn was plenty in our
camps ut Falmouth, and the birds were
growing fat. Jake was on hand daily
to feed his pet from his own hand. Sun
day found him putting in his leisure at
Small's quarters, where the turkeys were
under the eyes of the stable guards. AT
shutdown, when giving his pet the even
ing feed, he said to Small:
"Here's bad sign. See his stagger?"
"Why, he has done that before"
$50 much the worse. ! noticed it. but
didn't want to scare you. The bird has
the blind staggers."
THAT'S a horse disease"
Turkeys get it, too; them from Mary
land, where you got these"
"Do they die from it like horses?' ask
ed Small in alarm.
Eyes, and what is more it is catching
with turkeys. You may lose the lot"
"Then I'd better kill this one and save
the rest"
: mo, don't do that here. The scent of
the blood will infect the others. When it
is dark, let me take him in n bag and tie
a stone to it and sink him in the river.
Meanwhile you move the rest off this
ground to the other side of the stables"
Jake took the pet to the river and tied
a stone to it. But the stone had long
tether string and was not thrown into the
river, but anchored in a cave hidden
among the trees and vines along shore.
The corn which he fed literally was
thrown on the ground, and, being free
from whisky, the "stagsers" at once dis
appeared. A party of amazed fellow
bummers were entertained in the cave on
Thanksgiving day, and there was a ban
quet at headquarters on the turks which
Jake's good Offices had saved for the &C.
casion. OF course Small said nothing
then of the ''stagsers" for fear of spoil
ing his long looked for profit. One turkey
had up and died" suddenly. that was all.