Page 10 - Adventure Magazine, 1921, July 18th

4 Adventure

leader and instructor in hobo ethics was a little ragged-cared yellow dog, Gay-Cat.
fifteen-year-older called the Portugee Kid. Wise small head cocked to one side a fore-
The youngest was Crybaby Kid, nine years leg raised and slightly bent, mouth open
of age. and expectant-eyed, he abruptly halted
Then~ arc many similar roarl-kid pushes. among the eleven and stood motionless as
The hov Yictim of lhe Wanderlust drifts a tawny metal statuette.
almo!'t ·immediately into a certain one of . The. boys lifted on elbow and greeted
the tlm.'e categories of road-kids. There h1m w1th startled whoops of delight. They
is the ,Yt1ungstcr who hoboes in the com- knew the dog.
pany oi an older Yagrant and in return for "Ef it ain't the Gay-Cat 'n' no foolin'!"
hi-> prot~.:cti\'c strength and sundry lessons "Hello, rouse, ol' hobo, Gay-Cat; where's
in the hobo trade begs for him both money the Frisco Kid?"
and handouts. Another sort is the lad who Ire came slowly into the bland firelight.
unitl$ with other boys and thus becomes He too wore overlarge cast-offs. The trou-
numerically strong enough to keep from sers were rolled up bulkily at the bottom;
being preyed upon-so strong in fact as to the coat sleeves hid his tbin-wristed and
he able to prey upon others in turn. The dirty hands as in a pair of muffs. He was
third category comprises such as have a meager-framed fifteen-year-older with
graduated from either of the two previously sun-tanned, childish face in which were
named schools and go hoboing masterless deep-sunk tragic eyes, the blue of the
and primiti\·ely on their own. gipsying Celt. He had all the seeming of
It was only on the grudging sufferance a much younger road-kid, but already had
of Portugec Kid's push that the two gay- he been graduated by one of the preparatory
cats were allowed to jungle up in The schools of hobodom. He was a iree road-
\\'illows. The gay-cats were hulking fig- kid.
ures, greater in stature and strength by far "Hello, Frisco," greeted the Portugee
than any one of the road-kids. But the Kid. "Which way youse hea<lin'?"
road-kids had the strength of numbers; The boy nodded round the circle and
they were a pack; and road-kids traveling went at once toward the smoke-blackened
in pack are vicious as a gang of rats. Gay- kerosene can steaming fragrantly· on the
cats are as a matter of truth the road-kid's fire.
wonted prey. A gay-cat is likely to have "Headin' north, Portugee," he answered.
money because he works, and that money "Upper Illinois. and Chi is on me line of
makes him good pickings for the little travel."
Tatars. "Better keep outer upper Dlinois, Frisco."
A push of road-kids on the trail of a The Kid lifted a moist nose from the open
chosen gay-cat is not a pretty sight. Hunt- top of the kerosene can.
ing together lik(} a pac_k of cub wolves, they "Why the orders?"
close in upon their man in some district of " 'Cause upper Illinois ain't safe fer road-
vacant lots or in an alley among warehouses. kids nohow. The roads is all guarded by
Small boys leap upon him from all sides. sherili's dcpooties and rubes with shotguns.
If he resists stubbornly, some kid springs Me and me push is drillin' south on the
upon his back and applies the dreaded double."
strong-arm. That is the road-kid's stand- 11 llut what's the idee? Is eYery one
by. A kid upon a man's back, his knee to turned horc;tilc to hoes?"
the man's spine, one arm under his chin- The Portugee Kid snorted.
- and an irresistible leverage is in operation. "Boc.;, nothin'! :\fc and me push sho,·cd
A puny youngster applying the strong-arm through Joliet from Chi yistcrday on the
scientifically can lay a full-grown and husky C'. & E. 1., and there was all kinds of ex-
man lla t and gstsping upon his back in cilcminl round the State prison-~ircen!';
almost the nutter of an eye. a.-hlowin • and men all along the railroad
tracks a-watc:hin' with Winchisters. lt's
THERE was a clattering of dis- some guy wot made his gi~aw:1y fr«;>m ~~ir.
placet! stones anti then a crashing Better kc''P outer upper lllmo1~. Fn-.co.
among fallen leaves. Rt~shcd pre- Full ~trong in The Willow~ was 1\,rtu-
cipitately down the railroad embankment grc's push that night. 'Fhc F1i::.u(.1 Kid
and \\ell in to the circle of road-kids the sniiTcd raplurou::.lr thl! sl1cky mk)ls ftom