de sich a mighty ole strike since he was a young
fella, an' he strike dat hard an' he strike dat true, dat he biff his
beak right troo de mouse, so dat de mud bung up his two eyes an' chock
up his froat, an' you fair never did see no sich a splosh an' sich a
splutter in your time. `Mak' los'!' screech he, an' it sound like a
bushman on de mad. `Mak' los'!' But de mud mouse ain't a-sayin' a
word, not a word; an' Young Tink Tinky's yust a-gettin' out o' dat at de
rate of half-a-mile in a hunder' yards--on'y de White Owl ain't knowin'
nawtin' about dat.

"Well, Ole Owl he hadn't more'n got de mud outen his eyes 'fore de
indaba's finis', an' here comes all de birds. `Where's dat Tink Tinky?'
ses dey. `Fetch him out!'

"`He's in dere a' right,' ses de Owl. `What's you all decided on?'

"`Well,' ses dey, `by de law we cahnt yust say. Ole Baldy ain't King,
'cause he said he couldn't get up to Tinky. An' as to Tinky, he ain't
King 'cause he ain't big enough nohow. But we's a-goin' to hang' him,
so dere won't be no mistake about him not bein' King. Trot him out
den.'

"`You better trot him out yourse'f,' ses Ole Owl. `My eyes is yust dat
full o' dirt I cahnt see.'

"Well, de Sec'etary Bird he cock his eye into darie hole, like a ole
crow squintin' down a marrow bone. `Come out o' dat an' be hanged,' ses
he. `Make hurry now! We ain't a-gun' to wait all day for a speck like
you.'

"But dere ain't no Tinky come out. `Dat's funny he don't come out when
I shout,' ses Ole Sec.

"Well, de birds dey ses dey ain't got no more time to fool about. `Come
on, Ole Owl,' ses dey. `You's lookin' after him anyhow. In you pops,
den, an' outs him.'

"`A' right.' In pops Ole Owl, an' out don't pop no Tinky. `By gum!'
ses all de birds.

"Ole Owl in de hole he look an' he crook, an' he glint, an' he squint,
but he don't find no Tinky. `Dat's mighty funny,' ses he, comin' out.
`I seen you all shove him in here, an' I ain't seen him come out; but he
ain't dere now. He must ha' spooked!'

"`Oh, he's spooked, is he?' ses all de birds, tearin' mad. `Well, we'll
yust make spook o' you,' ses dey, an' dey make a dive for him like one
man.

"Ole Owl he yust glint one glance at de lot, an' den he turn an' he fair
make a head fust for it into dat hole agen, an' dat's de one ting saved
him. De birds dey cahnt get at him in dere on'y one at a time, an' dere
ain't any one o' 'em feel like facin' dat ole hook of a beak on his