Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-05-19
Numuruus department.
Some Bird.


At the recent maneouvers of the
battleships in southern waters, visi-
tor on board one of the ships was
talking to an old salt, and the old salt
warmed up enough to show the visitor
some of his treasures and curios col
lected in all parts of the world. One
thing he showed was a photograph OF
a most extraordinary looking bird.
What's that?" asked the visitor.
That" the sailor replied, lis the
pictur' of a pet eagle we used to have
on board this here ship"
But it doesn't look much like ar
eagle"
IN course not, for the reason he's
had all his feathers pulled out You
see, there's a story goes with that pic
tur'. One time when we was layin' of
the shore of Cuby we hears OF bunch
of dagos what had a champeen fight
in rooster This rooster was the sure
champeen. He had licked all the 9TH
er fightin' roosters on the island an
was worth his weight in gold. Them
dagos was mighty proud of their fight
in bird an offered to back him against
all comers.
I'VE was struck with an idee. This
here or eagle that shows in the pictur
was amoonin' round the ship an we
decided we would match him against
that champeen fightin' cock. So few
of us goes ashore, meets up with them
Cubians and gets to talkin' fight. They
was eager. So we made a match fol
a thousand dollars, Mex, a side, the
birds to be produced at the pitside or
a certain day an all bets to be play
or pay.
Them Cubians was daffy about
their bird an we took occasion to &c
ashore several times an bet them tc
a standstill. Finally, after the ossi-
fers had Clipped in, we had fifteen
thousand iron men bet on that fight
Mex, you understan'; meanin' some
seven thousand and a half of good
money. We picked the feathers outer
our eagle, 'cept those roun' its neck
an on the tips of it's wings; an when
the day come we puts the eagle in q
sack an goes ashore-the hull bunch
of us.
They was a bunch of Cubians there
all still daffy, an we bet all the rest we
had. Finally the preliminaries was
arranged an we picked a referee, MAX
in the 'greement it was play or pay
an not callin' our eagle a rooster, but
a bird. When we got it all arranged
with the bet-money in satisfactory
hands, they sent in their rooster-it
sure was a fine bird!-an' we shook
the eagle outen the sack. Them Gu
bians hollered little, but 1t was play
or pay.
Pretty soon the Of eagle, after
blinkin' for time, begin lookin' on the
ground for bugs to eat. The champeen
rooster paraded roun' and presently
took a fiyin' leap at the eagle an
gated him good. The OF eagle just
blinked and KEEP on lookin' fer bugs
The rooster give another parade an
lit in agin. He gated that OF eagle
something shameful; but the Of eagle
lust blinked an continered lookin' fer
bugs. Then the rooster was hoppin
mad; an he got back, balanced and
come up with a fearful swipe at the
eagle with them sharp gaffs of his'n
This time the Of eagle thought 1t was
about the period to put an end to this
here sort of foolishness and he waited
until the champeen rooster was back
in away. Then the OIL eagle reached
out, grabbed that there chicken an
pulled its head clean off with one pull.
THE Cubians made horrible yell,
but we got the money an beat it back
to the ship; an since then this here
OF eagle-who died a spell ago-has
been, as y might say, sort of a
pleasin' reminiscence roun' this OF
tub"