The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-09-10


3. Lippincott Coz
ing of, but kept up a deuce of a think
ing. | gradually became quite fond
of it. though 1t used to nip me at
times when cross, but then it never
picked up any of The bad language
that I used, and kept its thoughts to
itself. l always intended to teach it
to talk, but then the thought of re-
peating the same idiotic expressions
so often about wanting a cracker,
ETC., kind of discouraged me. Also |
wasn't always long on crackers, and
so thought it might be embarrassing
to have the bird ask for goods when
l couldn't supply them.
We'll, a friend of mine came along
one day-at least. | thought him a
friend of mine, though | guess he's
about my dearest foe now. l invited
him to put up at the ranch. and hay
ing some business in Tegucigalpa, and
as my friend didn't seem to be in a
hurry, | asked him If he couldn't stay
for a few weeks and look after things.
He said he could and would, SO
packed some things on a mule and
rode away.
Il stayed In the capital city longer
than expected, IL it was a good
three months before got back to the
ranch. My friend had gone, leaving
word that business had called him
away, but everything seemed all right
about the place. however, for l had a
good native overseer who kept every.
thing going. The only change l noted
was In the parrot. Just as soon as he
clapped his little beady eyes upon me
he astonished me by bursting out
with:
Robert the Devil: Robert the
Devil! You're a devil OF a fellow.
Carambo!'
HE seemed very proud and pleased
with this performance, and encored
himself again and again. I laughed,
for ! saw that my friend had put up
a joke on me; but after a time that
cry got dead tiresome. The blamed
parrot was SO proud of his accom-
plishment that he hardly took any
rest. Finally. after listening to that
yell for days, I got mad and weary,
and concluded that the poll and ]
had better part company. He was
young yet, and doubtless had lots OF
friends in the woods where he had
come from. So l took him out of his
cage and manumitted him. He flew
up on a tree near the house and be.
gan to %articulate again, so I threw
stones at him. until finally he set sail
for keeps and disappeared from view.
We'll. l enjoyed a quiet life after
that for some weeks, and was begin.
ming to forget all about the parrot,
when n morning 1 was awakened
by a deuce Of a racket; there was a
regular chorus outside:
Robert the Devil! Robert the
Devil! You're a devil Of a fellow
Carambo!'
II stuck my head out of the win.
dow, and saw a big, bare tree nearby
was simply green with parrots, all
yelling that Internal cry in chorus. |
/. OWNED the matter at once-that par.
rot OF mine had returned to its
haunts, and. instead of warbling its
. "oOd-AOICS win, IL udu ISpGdL
ed that cry until 1t was picked up by
/ all Its friends. 1t sounded like a sort
of college yell now when produced in
j chorus.
Good Lord, it was awful! At.
, tracted by the novelty of the thing
more and more parrots came around
and, as the days passed by, they toe
learned the cry, and, moreover, taught
it to others. I'll be hanged If it didn't
, come to be like a university extern,
sion movement, with my ranch as the
center Of intellectual culture.
: Nov and then l would go out and
: shoot some Of the birds, and had the
l satisfaction of seeing some of them
bite the dust in the very midst of per
forming their stunt. But what could
J, one man do against such multitudes !
. Why, new disciples f1ocked from
t everywhere, and the screeching that
arose was something maddening, to
say nothing of the wearisomeness OF
t lhaving to listen to the constant prac.
ticing going on before the blamed
birds got letter perfect in their parts.
We'll, / couldn't stand 1t. l had
: to quit. tell you. the woods were
filled with that strident cry, and it's
! spreading around over a wider area
every day. 1 shouldn't wonder II that
. ridiculous yell is now, echoing from
one end Of Central America to the
other. Go back again to hear it? j
guess not! You see, the parrots will
never forget it, and there's nobody to
, teach the wild ones anything new
All the young parrots will catch on
and so In future will the unborn thou,
sands. No. there's no silencing that
cry now; it's bound to ring down the
!. grooves of time forever.
do I hear the south a-callin'? Yes
I do; but / hear them blamed parrots
a-callin' still louder. and that's the
! reason why | stay away"