“It was me! Ah done pulled a cork from de vinegah bottle,” explained Lucy, and she showed them a bottle of vinegar she had just opened. Pulling the cork had caused a popping sound like that made by Jim the pet crow.
“Then he isn’t here,” said Mr. Jenk.
“No, sah. Ah ain’t seen no crow,” answered Lucy. “Dat bird suah am too smart,” she went on. “He done hab de evil eye, he suah hab!”
“You mustn’t say such things, Lucy,” chided Mrs. Martin. “There isn’t any such thing as an evil eye.”
“Well, mebby dey ain’t,” admitted the cook. “But ef dey was a evil eye, dat Jim crow suah would hab it!”
“He’s smart, all right,” admitted Mr. Jenk. “Well, as long as my crow isn’t here I may as well go back and look elsewhere for him. I hope I find him.”
“So do we,” echoed Ted.
“If you see anything of him, either catch him or let me know,” begged the owner of Jim. “I’ll give a reward of five dollars for him.”
“I’d like to earn all that money,” sighed Ted, for he had visions of what he could buy with five dollars. “But we’re going away to Mount Major, to live in a lumber camp, and I guess we won’t see Jim up there, Mr. Jenk.”
“No, I don’t suppose you will,” admitted the neighbor, with a sigh. “But if you do see him let me know. Jim was a valuable crow! So you are going to Mount Major, are you?”