The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-01-28
a Parrots Game Fight
For His Mistress Life
Which Was Put in Jeopardy by the Facility
with Which the Bird Learned Mexican OathS


A friend OF mine named Andrews
living a few miles from Bond, Texas
has a large parrot that's something
OF q wonder in a way, not exactly as a
taIker, although Pedro-tnat's Polly's
name-can. say things in English,
sing in French and curse like .
gUanehO in Spanish, but Is a fighter.
and Pedro is on record as being the
only representative of his species
ever joining combat with 4 rattle
snake
Morgan Witherspoon, a cattleman
from Western Texas. in the city with
a carload of beeVes destined fo~ the
local slaughter house, sat in front OF
n saloon. near the New Orleans
Butchers COOPERATIVE Abattoir, sev
eraf days ago, and, being in the mood
o yarl-splnning, Mr.. Witherspoon
rid himself OF a story out OF the or
binary for the benefit Of those near
him
The parrot was a young, mean
tempered little thing at the time
Andrews bought him from a Mexi-
can Mr. Withersooon started his
story. but after a while, when the
bird began to know folks about the
place. he manifested a better disposi-
ton, didn't squawk outrageoUsly and
rUHe up his feathers when any one
approached, and showed no disposi-
ton to use that powerful beaA OF
his
Pedro was a wise bird-what par
rot 1sL't@-and frcm the children he
readily learned to talk quite a lot.
Mrs Andrews, who was a Creole lady
frOmaLouis1ana, had a mighty fine
Voice. and Of an evening when the
family was gathered in the sitting
room after the days work was over,
n would sit a. the piano and sing
songs In French. One of these songs
was an Easy little ditty, and Pedro,
sitting on his roost in his big tin
cage an the kitchen, instead of going
10 sleep as orderly parrots should DO
with the advance of night, put his
faculties to work to master the dittv,
and a Gay ne astonisned the good
people by baWiing off the first lie
OF the opening stanza in a voice that
sounded like flies grating against
each other.
MRS Andrews, greatly unused,
devoted much OF her spare time to
teaching Pedro some more of the
song Pedro's favorite perch during
the day in fair weather was the rail-
ing of the side gallery overlooking
the poultry yard, and Mrs. Andrews,
IN her spare moments, would take
her chair, place it close to the bird,
and. seating herself, sing in low,
soft voice
Pedro seemed to appreciate that
his mistress vocal efforts were being
made in his behalf, and, aIching his
head to ore side, and rufaing his neck
feathers@a sign indicating either
he would listen attentively, cluck-
ling 10 himself the while.
Pedro, in less than a month,
Hearned the whole four lines Of the
FIRST verse, and ne would sing them,
too. when Mrs. Andrews would coax
him VITA a chicken bone, and every
body Thought Pedro was just too
smart for anything But if Pedro's
artistic temperament was developed
by MrsnAndreWs, all that was bad in
him was brought to the surface by
Miguel one of the Mexican hired
meI- At lunch hour, when the fam.
NY was In the dining room at dinner
and Miguel was finished with his re
past. the greaser would go to the
yard. stand near the gallery and give
vent To the foulest Spanish oaths h
eouId lay tBngue TO. e..
you can do more swearing ant
cursiHgt In Spanish than any othe.
language; it has Billingsgate beate1
a mRe, and what Miguel said to tina
brdsWou1dn't make nice reading TO
a S1lday-sehool paper. Parrots ar,
quick to learn anything, and espe
eiaI1y attentive T they when ba'
things are being handed them.
was. lucky for Mrs. Andrews that sn
hadn't mastered Spanish, for had he
education extended that far I recko,
she'd have thought that Pedro wa
only ut for some reform school or
Jail, where obscene and vulgar pris
oners are locked. up. If the lad
couldn't talk Spanish her husban
could, and he followed Pedro's dis
course beyond the tCaramba' and tn
-earrzjo' stage with increasing aston
1shment. Andrews knew where t
lay the blame. and, hunting up Mi
mel, he kicked the Mexican all aroun
the yard. without telling him why.
Miguel. rubbing the sore spot.
and nautterfng maledictions under b
breath. ssaddlef his mule and rod
away from the ANDREWS place, BIT
that wasn't the last of him by an
manner OF means, as the sequel wi
show. He vas to appear in a fe'
days, seeking a desperate vengeanc,
= 6endish plan which was to be fru!
trated by Pedro, the parrot.
Zone afternoon-it was the thir
day after Miguel, the Mexican, ha
been kicked of the place-Mrs. Al
dreWs left the sitting room and wei
b the gallery to sing to Pedro. L,
ing i'm the yard, close to the step
she noticed a wooden box, about tW
feet long and a foot deep. A pieC
Of thick wire netting, set in a fran
M wood, which had doubtless bee
the cover of the box, was near
hand Mrs Andrews was puzzled
The presence of the box in the var,
but her attention was diverted fro,
further contamination Of II nv fl