THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE. 



B. J. R. 



The boys are telling a good story of 2 

 travelling men, who visited a small town 

 in Northeastern Arkansas. Knowing that 

 good fishing could be found near town they 

 arranged for a camping trip. They were 

 joined by 2 local merchants and the quar- 

 tette began to hustle for a camp outfit. 



They succeeded in getting a farm wagon, 

 some extra wagon sheets, some pots and 

 skillets and a box of grub. On the sug- 

 gestion of one of the merchants they em- 

 ployed a colored man who answered to the 

 name of Eiph, who was recommended as 

 being faithful, industrious, an all round 

 handy man, and a fair camp cook. 



At the break of day the party pulled out, 

 feeling as frisky and as jolly as a bunch of 

 school-boys out for a holiday. 



Arkansas roads are, as a rule, a serious 

 matter. Many a poor wayfarer has had his 

 shoulder blades shaken loose while driv- 

 ing over them, but these drummers were 

 used to hard knocks and their victims, the 

 native merchants, were hardened beyond all 

 possibility of injury. A man who can sit on 

 a dry goods box and let a St. Louis drum- 

 mer talk to him 3 hours, without fainting, 

 can stand anything. 



So, the old farm wagon pounded merrily 

 along, over the corduroy, and the passen- 

 gers kept shouting into one another's ears, 

 telling how glad they would be when they 

 reached the river. And sure enough they 

 finally reached it. On arriving there they 

 set up camp and were soon enjoying a 

 breakfast of " briled " bacon, hot coffee, 

 etc., which Eiph had prepared. The drive 

 had given them an appetite that any hobo 

 might envy. They ate everythingun sight 

 and sighed for more; but Eiph told £hem 

 there was no more and they must hustle for 

 grub for dinner or go home hungrier than 

 when they came out. 



The next thing was bait. Spoons, flies, 

 phantom minnows, etc., the drummers had, 

 in plenty, but not a one with them; hence 

 live minnows were the only recourse. 

 There was a minnow seine in the outfit and 

 so the party set out for a bayou to catch 

 minnows. They were scarce, however, and 

 hard to get; but by scraping the creek up 

 and down and crosswise, a dozen times, 

 they managed to fill their pail. 



In making a draw it was discovered that 

 they had captured a good sized soft shell 

 turtle. One of the drummers said they 

 were at least sure of a good dinner. He 

 admitted these soft-shelled turtles, or, as 

 most people termed them, these mud-tur- 

 tles, were not the daintiest morsel in the 

 world. For instance, he said, he would 



rather have a brook trout, or a red snap- 

 per, or even a canvasback duck; but that 

 when the bacon was all gone and the other 

 grub getting shy a soft shell was a mighty 

 good thing to fall back on. The resc 

 agreed and Eiph was told to pick up the 

 turtle and lead out for camp. 



Now Eiph was superstitious and had 

 never heard of any one's eating a turtle. 

 He therefore remonstrated, mildly, against 

 such a course. 



" Boss foh de Lawd sake you ain't gwine 

 foh to eat dat ting! I wouldn't tase a bite 

 o' dat ar' tuhtle fo de whole worl. Sho you 

 dosn't mean dat. You jess tryin' to fool dis 

 old nigga. You wants me to toat dat ting 

 up to camp? Good Lawd! " 



It required the positive command of the 

 Southerner, which is second nature with 

 them in dealing with the negro, to induce 

 Eiph. to shoulder the turtle and lead off. 



As the party strode silently up the hill, 

 Eiph in advance with the turtle on his back, 

 one of the drummers following in his 

 tracks and the rest bringing up the rear in 

 Indian file, Eiph's agitation and supersti- 

 tious awe were apparent. His mutterings 

 were such as to indicate plainly that he re- 

 garded the whole scheme as uncanny. 



Now it chanced that the drummer who 

 was following next after Eiph was an ama- 

 teur ventriloquist of no mean ability. This 

 was well known by all the party except 

 Eiph, who was as ignorant of ventriloquism 

 as of turtle soup. 



The ventriloquist took in the situation, 

 and as Eiph was plodding along with the 

 turtle on his back, the picture of unwilling 

 subordination, the silence was suddenly 

 broken by a weird voice, apparently com- 

 ing from the turtle, saying plaintively: 



" What are you going to do with me, 

 Eiph?" 



As the novelists say, Eiph " started, vis- 

 ibly." His eyes grew larger. His breath- 

 ing was quicker and his step unsteady; yet 

 through force of his habit of obedience he 

 still trudged along with the turtle on his 

 back. 



After the lapse of a few minutes the 

 turtle again said, pleadingly: 



" What are you going to do with me, 

 Eiph?" 



By this time Eiph's agitation was piti- 

 able. 



His eyes were rolling wildly as he looked 

 b,ack over first one shoulder and then the 

 other, his nether lip hanging down like a 

 saddle skirt, and the perspiration flowing 

 from his face in drops as big as peas. His 

 steps were growing decidedly unsteady 



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