The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-14

ship now Have you laid eyes on an in- dividual answerin' to any sech descrip- tion?
 "I have says I afore Bill had time to open his mouth. He come nosin' around here about two hours ago an asks me could he engage his passage here to Italy. You bet you cain't," says I to him. This aint any immigrant ship" I says. "Go down to Bowlin' Green an apply these"
 " He an't ben seen to leave this here dock, sir says tn cop, speakin' to tn old man, an if he ain't aboard your craf' he must have throwed himself off'n ,h' pier or else stole boat, an rowed off in it.
 " 'Mebbe he's aboard tn Dago tub tother side of us,' suggests Bill coolly. I shd ast them if I was you. You didn't tell me nothin' about no sech party, Sam,' says he to me.
 " 'Furgut clean about it, I reckn,' says I cheerfully You see I was so busy gittin' tn cockroaches-
 We'll, breaks in tn old man, scowlin' at tn cop air we satisfied now? Didn't I tell ye ye wouldn't find any rubbish O thet sort aboard my shpa' An he walks off to his cabin without so much as sayin' goodby to tn feller. 'Ther ain't no time to waste says V have to git old Merry outer'n here as soon as it gifts dark, an dispose of him some how If we has to throw him into tn river
 ' I'm for gittin cab, an drivn' with i'm to some lonely spot, an leavin of i'm there,' says Bill.
 " An a right smart thing that would be to do,' says I sarcastic Lettin' alone tn cost of gittin' a cab, an drivin' to h r;,,l af reck'n would take us about q week to locate anywheres hereabouts; you don't calc'late, do ye, that Merryvingia is gon' to stan there like wooden Injun an watch us drive off with them birds of hisn-for we'd have to fetch them along an never open his head? Why, he'd make night hidjus with his cries
 We cd gag 'em,' says Bill, obstinate.
 An sew him up in a bag, too. I s'pose, an tell tn cabby we was jest coin 1t for a lark, sos he wouldn't think nothin' was wrong I goes on scornful No, I got better idee than that
 We'll what is it? says he
 It's this" says I. We goes an has a talk with that friend of yours what has sech a hankern' after birds of paradise an brings him back here along about four bells when tn old man is smokin his pipe in tn cabin. an tn crew is all
 
 Merryvingia an his pets while you con- verse amiable with your frin' in tn gal ley. Merry an l slips ashore without your seein us an as soon as ever I gifts him off'n tn dock I gives him tn slip in tn dark an comes scuddin back un- der full sail carryin them parrots wi.n me. Afore Merryvingia has got over his s'prise at partin' with me an tn birds 20 onexpected-li.le. an has located tn Gogoburn agin, which I don't reckn he will make out to do nohow. me an you has sold them feathered prizes an IS asleep in our hunks blissfully unconscious of tn existence 6f any sech party, an most indignant at bein' reused up firm cur slumbers. if we be, by his comin aboard agin.
 "'Soun's all right says Bill, If you contrives to lose tn old party, an git back to tn ship afore mornin I cain't set there talkin' to tn bird man all night without his gittin' to wonder why you don't come up with tn parrots
 Tn course you cain't,' I says. Who's askin' you to? I ain't gove over twenty minutes. an when I comes in I explains my bein' late an outer wind by telln' him two of tn birds got outer tn cage. an I had a devil of time capturn' 'em.' -f
 '" Well, if you ain't got a head for business says Bill admirin'ly.
 .I warnt born yisterday,' I says. I ain't so all-sired smart as some folks be, but now an then I has an idee come to me that aint ben in col storage for centuries