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A Sojourn With Royalty (October 26, 1865) (13 pages)
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Page: of 13
A few days afterward Charlie shot a monstrous horned owl. After duly admiring
this friend of the Bird of Jove, Storms threw it away, when His Majesty the King
quietly picked it up again.
" What the d---1 are you going to do with that owl?" inquired Storms." Roast 'em," said the King." Mucha bueno chicken.”
" Chicken ' echoed Storms, in disgust. "Why owls eat mice, moles and lizards—
faugh!”
“Chicken hab liber, heart, gizzy, head and tail, and mucha neck; chicken eat
worms, grubs and grasshoppers. Mucha bueno, chicken! Mucha bueno owl!
Ameicano mahala eat ‘em chicken salad, smackee lips for chicken liber, lickee finger
for chicken egg, and chicken eat worms and flies. Owl hab berry good egg.”
“Got you again, Storms,” I shouted. “Now, there are worse things than owls—
turkey buzzards, for instance. I tried owls when crossing the Plains. They were
Northern owls, and though I could barely stomach them in extremity, I can’t say I
was fond of them—they were rayther [sic] strong. This being a Southern owl, it may
be more palatable. I think I will taste it.”
In due time the King had singed off the feathers, and, at Charlie's suggestion, laid
it on the coals to broil. Soon the flagrant fumes of the roasting bird ascended to our
olfactories, when an exclamation and an oath came from Storms, and he suddenly
darted among some hushes, where he held a private communion with himself. We
could distinguish occasional interjections of " Ooh! augh ! ooh augh! d--n-aah! ahooh
waugh! waugh ooh ! d--n d--n the owl." Not wishing to disturb him in his devotions,
remained quiet till the bird was broiled, when I cut off a generous portion of the breast
and swallowed a mouthful. It had a peculiar flavor. I can't say that I admired it. I tried
it again. I swallowed it. My appetite was suddenly appeased. I felt that I had eaten too
much. No matter if’ you overload your stomach with jellies or sweet meats, the effect
is the same. With a sort of magnetic propulsion I found myself rushing from our meal
in search of Storms, when I intuitively took upon myself a portion of his devotional
exercises, and with solemn and somewhat lugubrious faces we looked at each other,
while I sung tenor to his bass, "Eeh ' ash! ooh ! ooah ! waugheh!" Dear reader,