The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-09-28

shake hands with his trunk, and lister
TO you ~ innocent and A. solemn eyed
as q pickaninny with bottle Of mo
lasses. Only II Burke wasn't there
he'd listen TO you . minute. and thes
feel around In the straw I'LL he'd filled
his fire.hose full OF sand and then blow
II In your face 30 hard you could %
away spd strike matches on yourself
lie was the son of a baboon and a.
india rubber water bottle, Punch was
He had the msnnss Of one. and the
figure Of the olhsr.
well. that was IN right. too. Burke
land me did the turn with him, both to.
getier; and II he didn't like me he was
open 70 take Il out Of sulking and back.
grunting to Burke. | told Burke he
wasn't bringing the brute up right. and
he said he'd send him TO . kindergar.
ten when the circus closed. lie thought
he knew elephant, knew ! didn't.
That was all knew; but Il saved me
from being made a haggis oi by that
smooty pile driver when hc started af.
ter me hat.footed one day, with his
pigs tail In the air.
"That was down In Tennessee. The
train'd stopped that morning In little
jerk'water town, TO hx up the ingine,
and We kadn't been fed since along
about five o'clock the day beforej 10
when Burke sights n pie shop across
the road, he sings out; You can set.
tle with me when I gets back'-and
he starts on q run for the delieatessen
shanty 10 get Us all q mouthful. We
hung out OF the car windows with our
mouth open, like q nest Of young rob.
ins, and watched Ill the train give q
bump and began TO pull out And then
we yelled.
Burke didn't wait 10 get his change,
at that, but came out OF the shop run.
ming like thief, with a pile Of pies
on one arm and loaf Of bread and Of
timed grub and things under the other.
lie nmped across lots faster than /
ever saw fat man cover ground be-
fore; but when he swung into the tracks
the train was sliding along more than
fast. He sprinted and picked up a
len'th but be could sect he wasn't going
TO make II with the load Of groceries,
and he began TO drop the timed grub
to tighten up. We were schreeching
like bunch of Indians, and hanging
out the back platform trying to reach
him, and he was up 10 his chin In pies,
and gasping and goggling like a drown.
ing man, dribbling bread and biscuits
and hunks of cheese all down the linz.
And the faster he dropped 'em the fast.
er the train leaked away from him.
He paused 30 scratch his ear thought.
fully.
He threw over all the pies, and then
didn't catch Il, The last We saw Of him
he was sitting on the rails wiping oil
and gravel Oft a busted pie that ned
gone back for, picking out clean place
TO bite into It."
The laugh that followed moved him
TO mild interest. He nodded. 1T
was alright for Burke, he had
half mile Of pies TO eat back over. But
we didn't get blamed doughnut till we
got TO the lot and sat into a parboiled
rooster In to the cooks tent. And that
was the second month we'd been eating
hen meat. wouldn't " kicked on that
either, but there was no one but me TO
fondle the elephant.
II coaxed him up from the train to
the lot with hay fork, and when we
were about there. he broke away and
got into an orchard, instead of steering
10 the tent where he belonged. caught
him up against tree and chained him
by the hind leg while he was busy
tearing off a branch to pick his teeth
with, and then ! left him there and
hunted for the cook tent.
Il picked up persimmon near the
fence. Did any of you fellahs ever
'hew green persimmont"
None of Us ever had.
He nodded again, more grimly.
There re some people need touch
If hard luck to mellow 'em up, and taat
Is the way with the pcrsimmon. II
lint ever right till its been frost bit.
= looks oil right; its yellow, and 1t
.astes sweet ah first but II draws up
he inside of your mouth like lining of |
IN old boot, and the more water YOU
rink, the worse il gets. After the first |
wo chews | took out of mine, / |
lropped IL and ran for the cook tent |
c's to get something to eat before the
ockiawd shut nm my main antrnnna