The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-04-11
JOCKS LII BOY.

wait TIL next week!
lock looked down at a little reproachfully,,
OTse obliged to 60 boss" he said decisively Il
done tole yo' my liz boys wuss. Marg'et's lobe
;os' fetched me de news. I'd like pow'ful ter hep
y,o-all but Jest eayn't don't YOU see!"
.Vcry WELL / answered irritably. as | opened
my pocketbook and counted out the money due
KIM ~Only don't come whining around here after
more work / can't be forever taking on new
hands and teaching them the ropes. | want men
who will stand by me-"
I spoke rather more vehemently than [ meant
- but | liked Jock and was very unwilling to
have him go He had been with me only few
reeks but was already worth any two men [ had
Considerably over six feet in height and strong
and massive in proportion, he was at once fertile
in expedients and perfectly obedient to orders
These two unusual attributes were what had recon-
pended him to me in the first place. for my ex-
perience with negroes had taught that they
we're upually dull and shiftess. But Jock was DIFF
ferent from any man | had ever met white or
black. He was interchangeable hunter and fisher
man. and there was not a bird or beast or phase
fwood life with which he did not seem to be famil-
ar And his familiarity not that of Ignorance.
Twas often astonished at the stray bits of scien-
tic information v ich came unconsciously from
his lips. He nev ned to get weary and ont
Of work hours wa usual oil IN the woods busy
about the campfire Noe5 of our game was caught
by him during the might, and. indeed. most of it
O.. seemed to
more about cooking than our camp boy himself.
Nearly every day be brought me a delicious stew
or roast which he had prepared himself and al
ways presented It with some such remark as: "De
doctor show me bout dis" or HDis is de wav de
doctor done II"
l was thinking regretfully about these extra
dishes as / turned my instrument around and sight,
ed back over the line Everything was all right
and | sgnaled the man to come forward AS
took out my Textbook to make some notes.
conscious of touch my shoulder.
What, not gone YETI" | asked
No, boss: | cayn't 60 disaway. Eff / amt come
back no mo-. | don wan yo tink OBJ me as no
count niger. jes' beeged to 60"
oh that's all right | answered little asbam-
ed Of my ill-temper. you needn't mind what |
said about not coming back was out of sorts,
If ! have place | shall be glad to take YOU on
any time.
The black face cleared instantly
Tank you. boss Tank you. sab! Ike vou-
a's wuk. Io'se de bes' boss Use had. cepn de
Doctor"
] glanced down the line The rear man was
fully quarter of mile away and walking slowly.
would be ten minutes before he would arrive
slipped the Textbook into my pocket and sat
down upon stump
~Who is this doctor YOU are forever +alling
about. Jock| | asked. Il am getting curious
about him."
Jocks face became grave at once. fancied [
could see tears glistening in his eyes.
He's de bes' man dat cher lib. sab: de bes' man
Do good Gawd cher made. | been his body-sarbent,
for ten year. an wuk for him, an watch ober him,
an nuss HIM. / watch him so | almos' know wat
he tink bout. He didn't hab no folks. nowhars:
an he ulster say dat / war his family He tux me
N de woods wen he hunt for bugs an things. an
ne TUX me in de city wen he wuk for de pore folks
de done let me hep in mos everything he do"
y" didn't eabe him, sab; he done lief me- Do
good Gawd tux him. Wen the yaller fever bruk
ont, he wuk night an day, lax he alters do Mos
everybody git outen de city; but de pore folks
natter stay am de doctor and muses. halter stay
Ter look alter EN-. DR.. Hatton stand hit for seben
week den he TUX de fever an die"
DR. Hatton.' / exclaimed; "that name sounds
familiar"
"Cose hit do. sab De papers war full OBJ hit
De doctor war rich man, an he done gibe bofe his
lie an money to de cause. / reckon de whole
goH done hear bout'n him. He wuk night an
Jay, all de time, an nebber fought OBJ res"
And you remained with him through it all 2" [
~, FOB eo'se.' Jock answered simply. "De doctor
lowed / good hep [ war big an strong an
could wuk roun' an If de sick folks"
and YOU didn't get the fever?"
No sah." showing his teeth little Il rocken
u, ls mggers skin too tick for feber git frou.
w en- de doctor die | hab no wuk so ] nuss roun'
tl dc winter come an break de fever. Den [
nch up all de doctors b1ongins Yo' see," his
voice growing low and tremulous ode doctor done
i ae me sell eberyt'ing he hab lef' an buv me
~ home somewhat. l git fo' hundred dollar, an
%ne dlsaway. You knowp
,:.5 nodded. had often seen and admired Jocks
a.e uncovered cottage, and wondered at his
4gulslie taste in shrubs and flowers On one oc-
aSon had met him walking back and forth
IRONING some strange African melody to pitiful
!. II'e e, OF humanity in his arms Perhaps this was
Ht llf boy" he was so fond of.
now old is your little boy" l asked
Dunno. sab. Reckon he's a heap lil'er'n his
we on count O bein' twisted an disjinted. Yo'
s boss, hit didn't pear ies' right fer ter use
ls doctors money for myself Seemed lax hit
g1er 90 ter de poor folks lax de res OBJ his for