Richmond High School - Shield Yearbook (Richmond, CA)

Page 16 text:

My Dash for Lite , pi AVE I ever been in peril of my life? Aye, — only. It was one summer when I was a toothless six-year- that I have. Onee old, enjoying my first delicious visit on a farm and the ‘‘yellow peril’’ that endangered me was, what do you suppose—a monstrous Buff Cochin rooster, Scrapper by name. Serapper was the most disagreeable fowl | have ever known. He seemed to have a grudge against every living creature and he was always ready and willing, nay, eager, to make anyone he met, aware of his feelings toward them. His whole ambition seemed to make his fellow creatures muiser- able and be it said to his credit that he was usually successful in achieving this noble aim. And it’s no wonder people were afraid of him with that huge bulk and those sharp weapons, his beak and claws. Whenever he got out of his pen, the cats and dogs disappeared ; the chickens cackled in fright and scurried away; and every woman and child out doors made a dash for the house. Oh. how I hated that rooster! I had suffered the indignity of being chased by him several times and in revenge I would go out and stand in front of his pen and tease him until he hated me almost as much as I hated him and whenever I came in sight he almost had hysterics. One morning I arose very early, before anyone else in the household except Tillie, the maid, was up and went out, as was my daily custom, to dig up the seeds in my garden to see if they had sprouted. I had just stooped over, when right behind me | heard a ferocious ‘‘eawk.’’ Frightened out of my senses I swung around to see old Scrapper bearing upon me at full tilt, revenge and hate gleaming in his eyes. I didn’t try to collect my wits, but with a shriek I started for the house and Scrapper came fol- lowing after. My only thought was to get as far away from Scrap- per as possible while his idea was to get as near me as possible. He was over half as tall as I, and I knew that if he once reached me he might knock me down and I believed he was fully capable of tearing me to pieces. By the time I reached the house, Scrapper had gained on me so that I did not dare stop a second to open the door. There was nothing to do but to keep travelling. I ran blindly on swaying close to the wall till I had reached my highest speed, but even that left me only a few feet out of his reach. Oh, how frightened I was! That rooster was as terrible to me then as a man eating tiger loose on Macdonald Avenue would be to you. Serapper was gaining but on I tore around the house. Now that Sy Cone Seem “douh lost are eithe ‘uy hous Shall

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ee Good Night, Lil Lam. io Cuddle to yo’ mammy, cuddle close. — trial Does mammy lub you? W’y of co’se the wi Cuddle close’s ev’ you can; lini Mammy lubs her li’] brack man. ning—al Say yo’ prayers, ’n close dem eyes, . Close ’em tight, so’s you kin s’prise tuggl : Dat ole san’ man wif his san’ t up 1 Dat shake de sleep on all de lan’. is a Good night, li’] lam’, good night. reir lit gths wer W’en de big moon comes up shinin’, lf on th Don’ you let it cotech you whinin’, air, al You jes’ close yo’ eyes up tight, y to Case de stars am shinin’ bright. eyes al Quick now, honey, quit yo’ foolin’; d, forge! Sho’ ah’ll have to sta’t in rulin’ le fairies An’ have to whip mah li’l brack man. - disgalr Close yo’ eyes now, quick’s you can. rot kno Good night, li’l lam’, good night. ars mnie ack onl or, . ’ ! reali Hush, there, Zekial, don’ you speak ! nae Cain’t you see he’s gone to sleep? Me Nother time, ’n out you'll go, i : No mattah if they’s rain er snow. fe You walk mighty still ahaid de An’ fix de eubbahs on de baid. of Ig There, there, honey, don’ you fret, Yo’ ole mammy’s got you yet. Good night, li’7] lam’, good night. fut WINIFRED CONWELL, 714.

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I had begun circling the house, it never entered my head to start out in any other direction. In the meantime the people in the house were awakening to the fact that something unusual was going on outside. They saw me flash past one window, then past another; presently past a window on the other side of the house, then back again to repeat the per- formance. As the rooster was not so tall as the window sill they could not imagine what force was impelling me past their vision with such terrific speed. I dimly heard one of them exclaim, ‘‘Iias the child gone crazy ?’’ The next time I flew by, uncle saw the look of terror on my face. “‘She is terribly frightened about something,’’ he said, and started for the door. Just then someone cried, ‘‘The dog has gone mad and is chasing her. Get the gun.”’ Then there was a rush for the gun. It happened or, as it seemed to me, was arranged by fate before- hand, that Tillie came out of the barn at this particular instant, carrying a large pail of milk and a can of corn, on her way to feed the chickens. She had just set down the pail of milk and had opened the gate when I catapulted past her. She knew I was in danger and I suppose she wanted to help me, but what little sense, the girl had completely disappeared in the emergency. She stopped to pick up the pail of milk, then started after the rooster. What she expected to do with two hands full if she caught ap with Serapper, nobody knew, least of all herself, but to chase the rooster was apparently the only thing that occurred to her. iler action made Serapper increase his speed and made me attempt to, but 11 was a poor attempt for I was almost dead with fright anu fatigue. When the chickens saw Tillie depart before she had served their breakfast, the whole flock of over a hundred ran out pell- mell and joined in the chase. Then the two puppies added them selves to the rout and did their level best to increase the excitement. So there we were, all tearing around the house for dear life, Tillie still holding her milk pail, although the milk had almost all splashed out over her skirt. Serapper was steadily gaining, egged on by the puppies, so I had less chance than ever to stop and open the door of the house. Just as the chickens and puppies had joined the chase, uncle reached the door with the gun, evidently prepared to see me in the teeth of a mad dog. When I appeared around the corner followed closely by the belligerent Scrapper and by Tillie with her pails, the flock of eackling chickens and the excited puppies, he was so over- come that he could not make a move to rescue me. Perhaps it did look funny, but I couldn’t realize it then. It seemed a matter of life or death to me and when I saw him doubled up with laughter, not making any move to stop Scrapper, | lost all ambition to live. If my cruel, heartless relatives did not eare whether or not I was murdered on their doorstep, I didn” either. I was too tired to try any longer and what was the use, anyhow? Bang! Blinded by my tears, IT had run into the corner of tne house! I dropped down thinking my time had come. f hope IT shall never have to go through another such agonizing eternity 3