Page 11 - Adventure Magazine, 1921, July 18th

Children of the Road 5

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the kerosene can, then directed a look of tions to which he had to answer no, which
deferential inquiry toward Port ugee. The sounded derogatory to his dog.
n
Gay-Cat dogging the Kid's steps, turned "No, he ain't never had the pedergee
also his little black eyes in wistful interro- that I knows of," he admitted ; then
gation. Crybaby Kid intercept ed the mute proudl y, "but he had the mange somethin'
appeal. He said grandly : fierce last Summer!"
"He'p yerse'f, Frisco . We-uns has scoffed "I knowed it, Fri sco; I jes' knowed he
some time ergo." had somethin' . H e's some dorg all right.
Port ugee Kid spoke a short word to the An' smart, too. I'll bet yer couldn 't lose
Crybaby Kid. Cryba by got up from his a dorg like him. I'll bet yer could sell
railr oad tie thereat and searched in the him an' he'd git away somehow an' faller
litter of old newspapers and empty cans yer like a good hobo buddie, noseyin' yer
until be found two cardboard biscuit car- out clear acrost the country. A dorg like
tons. These he slit down one side him oughter be wo'th a heap o' money,
and spread out into flat improvised don't youse think?"
plates . The Frisco Kid paused in the engrossing
The Frisco Kid appropriated the railroad business of eating. He looked slowly round
tie vacated by Crybaby. The Gay-Cat the circle of fire-tinged eyes that were
climbed upon the tie also putting his pipe- watching him with an attention oddly
stem forelegs upon the Kid's lean shank and canine and sober. His gaze fixed at last
lifting himself almost upright thereby the ·on Crybaby.
better to watch Crybaby, his quivering Nine-year-old Crybaby was a tiny tad in
nose going now to the right, now to the left, overalls, faded to an oil-stained cream
as he followed attentively Crybaby's every color, and blue denim shirt open at the
move. babyish sun-burned neck. He bad left
With a flat stick Crybaby heaped one bis ragged cap and man-size coat reposing
cardboard plate with the meat, potatoes, beside the tie the Frisco Kid had appro-
onions, carrots and bread of the "combi- priated to his own use. His bright hair
nation" stewing in the can. He carried was yellow as a new broom. In the leaping
it to the Frisco Kid. The Kid sat up and, play of the terra-cotta flames his face,
balancing the smoking mess gingerly upon despite a certain artful assumption of man-
his knees, fell to eating without thanks or liness, looked very soft-curved and win-
other ceremony. Inelegantly, quickly, greed- somely infantile.
ily, he gorged himself. "Aw, Crybaby," objected the Kid. ''What
Crybaby placed on the tie beside_ the yer beefin' about anyway?"
Frisco Kid a plate for the dog. Curtly and "Jes' this, Frisco," said Crybaby, leaning
voraciously the Gay-Cat attacked the hot over, his large brown baby eyes dull and
food. With low moans of joy he bolted smoky with covetous desire. "Yer don't
whole potatoes and lengths of carrots and wanter sell thet Gay-Cat to a stiff like me,
chunks of meat big as a man's fist. Great does yer? Jes' fer a week er two. I'll
puddles and · spills of gravy vanished at a git yer real money fer him. An' then he'll
hurried flicker of his red tongue. come back to yer like I says, noseyin' yer
"Say, Frisco, thet's some cute li'l dorg, out clear acrost the country."
thet Gay-Cat puppy, " said Crybaby sud- "Aw, say now, Crybaby. Lay off thet
I denly. stuff, will yer? I couldn't think of partin'
I He was standing- over the Kid's tie, with Gay-Cat. Not for no money--not for
watching with serious thought the happily all the money in the world!"
moaning Gay-Cat. At that positive answer Crybaby looked
"An' wot a gorgeus appetite fer sech a as if he were going to live up to his monaker
li'l feller! Say, has he ever had the blue or road-name. His round baby face showed
ribbing s?" an utterness of woful dismay.
The Kid did not pau se in his eating. He The Frisco Kid suddenly soften ed. He
shook his head. felt the acute stab of sympathy . He saw
"Well, I'll bet now he's had the pedergee; himself but a few month s since, ere the
eh, Frisco?" Gay-Cat had come to gladden hi life, the
Kid.
Again the Kid shook his head. But he yearning counterpart of poor Crybaby
felt there was someth ing in all these ques- Hastily he explained :