Oroville Union High School - Nugget Yearbook (Oroville, CA)

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ghost’s neck. It gave one startled hound, springing away so suddenly that the end of the rope was jerked from my hand and I fell to the ground. The next thing I remember, a tall bearded man whom 1 did not recognize was bending over me. This was probably the person, I decided, who was masquerading as the white dog. He asked in a very pleasant voice, “Whose little boy arc you?” I was so frightened I could only gasp. “Who are you?” At this he laughed, saying. “Why, I am Mr. Snider ” And then 1 knew he was an old friend of my father’s whom I had never seen. “Now won’t you let me take you home?” he continued. The next morning while I was in the yard playing 1 heard a loud, “baa! baa! and looking up. I saw our old sheep standing at the gate with a suspiciously long rope around her neck and dragging down the trail. This must have been the White Dog” of the night before. OLIVE RUFF. ’15. A LADIES’ MAN As 1 stepped off the train at Daily. 1 saw coming toward me. not my friend, but an unusually large colored woman. She was as black as the ace of spades, but the sun shone through several holes in her big straw hat and lit up her happy old face. She wore a red calico dress with two blue patches on it and a bright green and blue checked apron. “Hello, honey chile. Miss Stella couldn’t come to meet yu, so I done come, ’cause I knowed yu’d have some luggage and it’s a mighty hot day,” she called to me. Before I could get my breath she took my suitcase and, taking the lead, she told me to follow her. “Come along, little missic. yu ole auntie’ll tote your bage fo yu.” she said as she waddled along at a good rate It was not long before we reached Stella’s home She was in the kitchen, and as we came nearer she looked out and called to us, “Oh, you are here, are you? 1 knew you would be hungry, so I stayed at home to get some lunch for you. and Mrs. Churchcl came over, so I sent her to meet you.” Before I could answer. Mrs. Churchcl. my new friend, replied. “Yes, we're here. Miss Stella, un it sure am a hot day. I jes' knowed it would be hot by dc way de chickens lazied around an’ never had no suspicions to lay.” By this time we had reached the house and Mrs. Churchcl made her way in and Hopped down in a big rocker. She pulled her hat off' and began t«» fan. as if her life depended on it. Then she put her hat on the table, and using her blue and green checkered apron, she mopped the perspiration from her face. This was the first time she had removed her hat. so I got my first glance at her hair, unruly, kinkey curls pulled back in a walnut and securely pinned with toothpicks. While she went through these various maneuvers, 1 removed my things. Then Stella told me to sit down and rest while she finished preparing lunch. I told her

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but then all detectives carry pistols. I decided to take a lasso along, for the detective had lassoed the villian in the last story. I might lasso the white dog and take him home in captivity. That evening I started out. slipping away down the trail which led to the deserted inn. ft was the ghost’s hour and this evening I knew they were out in lull force to mock me. I heard one following me down the path, another darting at me overhead. I began to see witches out riding broomsticks over trees and hunting lizards under rocks. My heart beat time to my now flying feet. I saw ahead the great white oak whose tangled limbs twisted over the ruins of the inn. I hurried forward faster, and. fearing the witch who I knew was pursuing me. I sprang up into the branches of the oak. The old inn stood indistinct, the dark green moss of the toppled down chimney mingling oddly with the wild ivy and honeysuckle that clambered over the walls. Hats began to flutter about like spirits, while owls hooted dismally, as if they were calling the white dog. things became gloomier, I began to sec all manner of strange sights, when suddenly I felt sure I heard something approaching. 1 held my breath, straining my ears. It came nearer. Yes. it was coining upon the porch. I got my lasso ready. This was surely the white dog. It came straight across the porch, sounding as if it had four peg legs instead ot one. My hair, from sheer fright, stood straight up. and this must have caused my cap to fall off. The ghost came directly to where the cap lay and looked up. probably attracted by the beating of my heart. The lasso fell front by hand and settled down over the 26 Water Kallinjt Over Crystal line ave— One of the many beauty spots of Table Mountain near Oroville.

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that 1 would entertain, or rather, he entertained by Mrs. Churchel. When 1 came hack into the sitting room I started a conversation by asking Mrs. Churchel how the chickens and ducks were, not knowing I had struck on her favorite topic. “W ell. now. tna chickens is too lazy to live. Somehow it’s too hot for ’em an’ dey die on da nest rather’n lay en aig. Hut ma ducks! Lawsy me. chile, dey is da envy ob da town! Only one thing am a lackin.’ I'm hav’n sech a time! Yo see my ducks all come out of dcre shells fine, but I ain’t got a drake among ’em. and I was all over Daily a try’n to get one. but it done look like I ain’t ment to have none,” exclaimed Mrs. Churchel. “May I ask what kind of ducks you raise,” I remarked. “Oh! Pckings. Pekings.” she replied. “You know dem big white fellers wid yellow feet like do corn dey eats.” “Why. said I. “my grandmother raises Pekin ducks, and it was only this morning I heard her say she had an extra drake, so I am sure you can get it. At that Mrs. Churchel lost all control of herself and she cried and laughed at the same time. Lordy! Lordy! chile.” cried Mrs. Churchel, “I been a prayin’ an’ prayin' fer mor’n a week fer one ob dem ducks, and the good Lord’s answered ma prayers. I tell you. honey, if ya have faith in dc Lord, your prayer’ll be answered. I been a thinkin’ de Lord neber wanted me to have dat duck, but He sure did, an’ Me 2 sent yo clear from Bosting fer ta answer me prayer. So now yu rush round an’ write to yu granney. and tell ’er to sen me dat duck. I promised to do my best in getting the drake for her and in due time it arrived. It was not far to Mrs. Churchel’s home, so 1 decided to carry the drake to her yard. She was talking to her ducks, and as I came within hearing distance she was saying: ‘Bless, yo ole hearts, yo mammy done helpen yo to clean house en I got a sprize fo’ vu all. an’ yo will sure be sprized en happy when yu find out what it ez. Just then she saw me and she got up and hurried to meet me. I had the duck in a basket with a cloth tied over the top. When Mrs. Churchel saw the basket she started to shout with joy. “Oh ! he’s come, he’s come: give ’em to me! In her excitement she was not able to untie the cloth over the basket, so she snatched a pair of scissors from a hook and cut a long slit in the top of the cloth. The minute this was done the old drake popped his head out of the basket and Mrs. Churchel went wild about his charms. At length she got him out of the basket and after a great deal of loving and petting, she put him down in her duck yard. As soon as he was free he flopped his wings, and gibbed his bill in the water trough and then made friends with the other ducks. “Derc now. said Mrs. Churchel. “ladies, you got a man at las', and look how he flap his wings. He. he. honey, he sure am a ladies’ man.” RUTH HARRIS, ’18. 8