Cogitations upon Recent Telegrams, by a Watcher.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2817, 23 February 1878, Page 4

Cogitations upon Recent Telegrams, by a Watcher.

Thb Beae, the Tubkey, the Buli, ani) tee Eagle.

Bbab : Well, Turkey, good morning to you. We*havo had a fight, and I have licked you. I have possession of your yon. Shall we shake hands ? ~ Turkey: What? No, not exactly. I don't see that either. You have a cheek, at any rate. Would any of your Christian animals do such a thing ? ' Beab : No, not shake hands ? Why I am master of the situation, snd can benefit you more than any other of the ani- : mals. You know your old friend Bull has entirely forsaken- you. . Give him best, and stick to me, arid I will look after jour iuterest when we settle up. Your chicks shall hn?e an enclosure which none ■hall-touch-.-. ■•' ''" , Tubkey : Do you really mean it ? BeaB: I do. You have a Gne set of Bpurs—as yet uniujured, aud my claws are still whole. .Your spurs and my claws^ould play havoc with Bull's stalls, and make the water splash in that ditch. We, together, could give Bull a twister, should He ride'rusty at>my success j » and occupy the: ditch. ; ! ' ;

Tubkbx : Weil, I Ihink tliero is something in what you say, and 1 should :lik6 to serre Bull out for his neglect of,me and my chicks ; but his horns are amazingly strongi should he only determine to use them. ' ** Beae: You needn't fear; hell only bellow and make a fuss, 111 be bound Tubket : I doubt thafe But if 1 shake hands with you, what shall I pet in return ? I should like to know definitely. I think I ought to have a voice in the division of my old run. Bbab : Leave that to me I pledge my word of honoim You shall not be neglected. I have, as yet, hoodwinked Bull, who is for having a foot in everybody's sun, and who is deuced cheeky into the bargain. He is as mad as a March hare, and in a t< rrible rage now, but it will come to nothing. Tubkbt : I don't know that. Bear: Well, he cannot hurt me, and he can do nothing for you, but I will. _ I again'give you my word of honour, which was 1 never yet broken. The two of us together will be a match for him. He may knock my fences about a bit, but they are; soon repaired; but he dare not set his foot in my run. A Gaulic cockonce tried that on, and I looked on nnd let him enter until he got into our largest den. Then my cubs set upon him in earnest, and he went off the run without a whole bone in his skin, or an unbroken feather on his back. Listen to me, Turkey, and make the best of a bad job- Besides — Tubkey: Besides what? Beab : Why, I know we shall not be alone, others pity you as much as I do. Allah willed that I should lick you,; it was sp- fated you know; yet I pity you, and will help you all I can : and you shall have it 'large enclosure for your chicks. The others I speak of will side with me in this. I well know, and we all together shall prevent Bull gaining nny part of your old run, or of having anyihing to do with it, or with the ditch either;

TpJpcEY: 1 doubt it. Beab : Bull will only fret and fume and rag^ and bellow; but seeeing that the odds are all against him, lie will do nothing but try and frighten us. It's easy to see that. Tfbkey: How easy to see it ? Beab■:»-Wbyi- don t you know that a prophet has. lately appeared among the joong bulls at Bull Hun, and that he has been trying, with considerable success, to persuade his fellow animals that they are the " Lost Ten Tribes," and that being such, they will be kept out of the troubles we all see are coming upon the inns of the world* Now this craze has greatly taken hold of the bigger young bulls, andercn Mrs Bull herself is supposed to believe this prophet; at any rate for-some months past the prophet's books have bad blazoned on their wrappers Mie words "Under Uoyal Patronage." Besides all this there is a very large herd of the animals at Bull Bun thafcV hare come to the conclusion that they cannot feed,'jn their luxuriant pastures just now,; and get fnt if they use their horns, so they have determined that the elder Bull and Mrs i ßull shall follow in their footsteps. These animals are termed the peace-at:any-price herd, and; they have a leader who has freat influence with Mrs Bull especially. [all I Hah .'Hah .'—that's capital for us, igifc'no'lP

Tubket: Well, Allah wills ti, so I suppose it must• be as you say. (They shake hands.) But, Mahomet is the only true propheti the other must be a false one. Beak :' Well*.never mind, he helps us at any rate just now. TtrnKßT: Possibly. Beak : You are a wise 'Turkey, 1 and now I will guard the land side of your magnificent poultry ..House, while the Bull .and the Ragle"look on a-bit from their stalls and nests in the ditch.

Tcsket:. Ah, that ditch ! When the conference of yourself and the Eagles takes place, the Bull will insist nponbeipg at it, and will have his Bay and want it all his own way; he will want to be always popping about that ditch that he may watch your movements. That ditch will be a knotty question for the Eagles and 3'ourself to consider, and Bull will get the best of the controvers}'. Beak : Leave that with me arid them, we will manage jbini by throwing dust in his eyrs. We must let him have his say —he makes so much of that Paris agreement which. I hav.e-all but annihilated. What do I care about agreements when they stand in my way ? Agreements are only made to serve Ihe moment, and to get out of the difßeulty of the moment, Jbat of no value whatever when the emergency is post. That is the idea everywhere ' now, with both national and 1 individual animals ; keeping covenants is an exploded theory. . ■ # Tubkbt : Say you so ! : , Hoiv then can I trust you ? . . f Beab : Certainly, you know it is so.

It is only t6'- suit his own present purpose that Bull just now makes so much of the I?aris agf cement, but then, yoii know, we.C«M hoodwink him over the table as lain how doing by the wires, he could, do nothing at the first conference, and we ■wiljlbe able,to.manage him at the second, that is if it ever lakes "place. He will only rage and bellow ; (he odd's being so much against him he will back out and leare the Eagles to selije the affair. . Tttbkey : It's very doubtful. Bear: Well* that's my belief; he is no match for us in deliberation. At any

rate, I will take care of you. lam quite disinterested, you know ; but I liavo great, lovo for those Ghrislmn animals. Allah willed that I should free them, and I have freed them, you see. There is no resisting fate ; and you know the power of fate better than I do. Tubkey : Well, I must go ;. my chickens are in a terrible stew; I must try and quiet them, poor tilings! ■ Bkak: Well, you have, my, high and honorable assurances to depend upon ; console them with my words, nnd fear not. By-thn-bye, there is another little matter! You will, of course, allow my cubs to pass through your beautiful poultry house. I will tuke care they do your chicks no harm. It is just for the honor of the thing,' you know, and for nothing else whatever. Tubkey: Allah wills it; be it so. Bkak: And when we meet again I have something to say about the "Holy Places," and about, that Indian preserve off Bull's.: You know, you have, ah immense number of young turkeys in Bull's preserve; and they are much concerned that you have been so neglected by Bull. I have something I want to do in that preserve, and your assistances will be invaluable. 1 shall certainly do you a good turn, and you miist do me one 1 in return for my distinguished favors. • , Tubkey: No objection ; good-bye! Bjeab : Farewell! Inwardly chuckles, "I've not hitn.;{ Wlint will ihe Bull say now?. I wonder if he will fight! It will be. hot work if he does ; but we shall hug him." 3 ' '