Evening star., 1935-03-17

0OHttctlun Spiie an UOuDte SplIe,
Soppy." amended Crassus.
They followed their noses until they
came upon great dingy black appari-
ton which beat its wide damaged
wings frantically. and gagged, and
choked. and belched defensively, and
struggled up from the weedy turf only
to be yanked back down again. The
brothers ventured closer and per-
ceived it to be a full grown North
American vulture, and then they saw
the reason for the creatures frenzied
conduct. One of its legs was shackled.
Steel jaws were clamped to the
squeezed ankle and a tether of steel
links was wedged fast by its pendant
clog in gin of tangled sapling stalks.
well, l be dog -goner' exclaimed
Crassus. Now US knows who It's been
robbin' our mushrat traps an our
mink traps fur de longes'. Come on.
Soppy, let's tex an chuck de ever
lastin' daylights out of him"
Hole on" counseled Aesop. "W'ite
folks got fool law ag'inst KILN ary
buzxard. Mebbe it's in de Bible. Whut
do that sayin' say? Oh, yes" He
appeared to quote. mo matter whut
he doeth, thou shalt not taketh no
buzzard's life in vain, whatsoever, fur
evermo'."
But look how that iron done fray
his shank all upr protested Crassus.
Putin him outen his misery'd be
pussonal favor to him, sides teachin'
de pestifyin black raskil a good
lesson"
"Tha's so, that sho' would be a
good deed. An de Word say him which
is kind to de dumb beastes he gifts
blessed. But wait, l got a real croppy
notion, Crashy. you run back to that
stump whar US left them diggin' hoes
an things an bring me that gunny-
bag wid de dynamite an whut-all
in it,"
In half a minute the younger
brother had returned. Having care
fully removed its touchy contents,
Aesop handed the uocus-sack to the
puzzled Crassus.
Spread this over him so he can't
claw you." he ordered. Then git that
trap unwedged. But don't let him
'scape of on you"
AN then whut? You win't aimin'
max no pet out of a turkey buzxard,
is you, Soppy?'
''Yere's whut I'm goin' do" This
witted genius illustrated his
words by swift co-incidental action.
We goin' tex this yere scrap of
bindm' tape an we goin' TEX this yere
whole stick of dynamite; an then we
goin' tex an tie the dynamite closet
an snug up under his tail-feathers.
An we goin' hitch on cap an a good
long piece o fuse to de stick an then
we goin' turn him aloose - an let
nature tex its course. Natchelly, ef jes'
10 we lets him 60 should be wavin'
a lighted match round sorter acci-
dental-lak. an de fuse should happen
ketch on fire an a sudden 'splosion
should sorter seem to occur whilst de
old purfessor's way up in de air. why.
that amt nary bit of our lookout; is it,
] asst your
1T sho' amt T. schser' shouted
Crassus, enraptWed by the sheer
beauty of a device so utterly simple. so
philanthropic and yet abounding in
prospects of so sparkling and so
spectacular a finale. AS he fell -
literally - to his share Of the under
taking, he crooned the opening of a
familiar folk-song:
Fly high, Mister Bnzzerd,
YoN bound 10 hgh some Day"
Freed from his entangling manacle.
the scavenger-brd proceeded to light
out for other parts, doubtless being
stimulated by persistent cracking
and splitting Immediately behind him.
''Colly, but amt he joreein' out this
neighborhood in a somewhut hurry
proclaimed Crassus, and watched a
black shape which Travelled down the
wind like the wind. Hope an trust
he don't git hisse'f begone plum out
of sight TO de big rookus come to
pass
That was the one threat of dis
appointment for the young humani-
tarians. looming eastward like
homing Junebug. their late captive
was already a speck on the horizon.
On beyond the encroaching timber
line, the diminished dot vanished.