Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1902-01-20
DID DARKY'S TRICKS
DADDY HAD THE GENUINE
PLANTATION TRAINING.


mere IS genuine old darky OF
plantation training. "befo' the wa"
that serves as cook on the handsome
private yacht of Detroiter. says the
Detroit Free Press. He's the greatest
hat ever came down the gangplank." b"
laughed the owner OF the boat
Look at that walk, will you? Isn't
hat the real thing? Big. fiat left foot
turned out at pretty near right ankle
and boot elit at the sides to accommo.
late CONS and bunyings.' Favors the
FOOT, too, by letting down at the knee
every time he steps. Got head like
cottonball and eyes that laugh when
the rest of his face is as sober as u
ieacon. don't care where we're cruis-
ing or how monotonous everything else
may become. that old daddy is a con-
s,ant source of enjoyment TO me. He's
a genuine son OF the tropics. too I've
stepped into his kitchen when 1t was
hot enough to curl paper or wither
leaves and there he'd sit with beatific
look, either singing some hymn as they
used to sing II at one of those southern
camp meetings or mapping like a cat on
warm hearth. II was a regular in
ferno to me, and yet he'd put on his
coat and turn up his collar II he ven
tured on deck. a thing that he seldom
does unless | urge II as precaution
against scorching his lungs. Gotta
watch fer dis rheumatic, boss he in
sists. 'Dey's de debil In dat lef' leg
shuah, an de only way to chas' him out
Is TO cook him out tell him that the
devil has nothing to do with Il. and
took special occasion the other day
to inform him that his afiiiction was
the result OF old age. Beg pa'don.' he
replied. with a flourish OF both hands,
dat lef' laig hain't no oldah dan de
right one, boss an dey's no rheumatic
in IT, sab. 1t am de debil, boss, jes'
done tole you, an de way to fight de
debil Is wifi fiah. sab. Lemme git down
side dat cookin' stove an | wouldn't
glib a cent a bottle To- all de med'cin
ebeh concoctified. sah. Daddy's an
tlpathy to cool water Is as strong as
TO cool air. urge him to go in bathing
frequently, just to watch the cunning
with which he will avoid following my
advice. He can look the picture of
health when | advise him to take
plunge and inside of three minutes
have a pronounced case OF fever and
ague that would fool any doctor who
did not know him. He will shake at
regular intervals, complain OF racking
pains, and take quinine with avidity--
also with Il slight allowance of whisky
and go to bed Stimulating the weak
ness of baby rather than jump into
the water. He alternates these ague
fits with 'neuralgey,' 'toofache,' gone
ness in de stomach and "a ringin in
de head like a sawmill way on One
night when we were anchored OFF An
Sable told daddy that he must take
swim. The peremptory order gave
him all his ailments at once but in
sisted, and the contortions through
which he went while going below sug
gested acute pain in every atom of his
being. Presently | heard great
splash in the water Quickly there
fioa,ed in the air. in daddy's unmistak-
able tones: Laws massy, but dis am
inel Jes' like de watah In de ole
James ribber Reckon | kin dibe yet
and there was another commotion,
which suggested that daddy was turn
ing turtle as he went brief silence
was followed by sputtering. a gur-
Cling, and a final wow which indicat-
ed that the 'dibc' had been successfully
accomplished. All this puzzled me, for
/ had long since decided that | could
never get daddy into the water unless
| threw him in. | slipped down the
passageway. through the cabin and
into the cooks domain. How J ever
restricted myself to internal laughter
without suffocating is more than will
ever be able to explain TO myself There
was daddy with his head out through
u bull's-eyc. Tied TO the end Of rope
he had a block OF wood. With this he
had made the plunge and the dive.
With this he had kept up the noise OF
eome one padding about In the water.
Daddy's ready tongue was doing the
rest. lie would make the noise OF blow
ing out water. puffed. announced to
the night air that It was funny he
could swim better on his lcft side than
on his right, despite his rheuma tism,
and made n noisy dive .bout every
minute, always giving forth the appro-
pirate sounds afterward But what
caused me to retreat with n rush was a
half-smothered scream. followed by
waghl wagh! wagh! Dat wah a crab
got me by de toe, shuh. Have nice
swim, daddy ! asked a little later, as
found him rubbing his dry head with
big towel. Magnificent. sab, mag
nifcent wah jes' sayin' TO NAH
self dat 1t minded me Oh de ole James