Page 12 - Adventure Magazine, 1921, July 18th

6 Adventure

"YER don't understand what Gay- be bug-house, Crybaby. Why did yer
Cat is to me, Crybaby. I used to think yer could buy Gay-Cat off'n me?"
be the kid of Frisco Red. He was Answered Crybaby surlily-
a big fat husky stiff, but so lazy and shif'- "Aw, I thought I'd git a thousand bullets
less he would 'a' starved but for me beggin'. in good solid jack fer him, thet 's wot!"
He snared me to the hobo life when I was "A thousand dollars?" repeated one called
a measly little shaver of twelve. the Swede Kid, his tow-head silvery and
"For three year, up until a coupla months oldish-seeming in the flickering cast of
ago when Gay-Cat shoves along, I begged tawny firelight. "How youse talks! Yer
jack and handouts for that stiff. I used to mus' be one o' them millionnaires er some-
keep him in drink-money regular, 'cause thin' !"
when he wa full of booze he laid off some Asked another, Cigaret Jimm y, signifi-
on beatin' me. He were a wonder for givin' cantly--
bealin's, Frisco Red. I used lo ermagine "Wot brand o' forty-rod does youse most
how it 'ud feel without no black-and-blue fill up on, Crybaby?"
marks from his shoes all over me. And "Don't youse laff at me, yuh fellers!"
then along comes Gay-Cat. The Crybaby Kid's lips were petulant
"He were a measly mongerl that hadn't and beginning to tremble.
had nothin' but wind-puddin' to eat and "I never meant no hurt to the dorg. I
kicks and punches mosler his sweet life. thought mebbe I could buy Gay-Cat from
He was the leariest, scariest, most horstile youse, Frisco, an' then sell him to Miss
hobo dog I ever seed. He was sich a Heffernan fer a thousand dollars. She's
'fraid-cat he wouldn't lake even a handout sold dorgs fer thet much-she tole me so
from me without scrunc hin' down in the herse'f-and I thought mebbe she'd buy
dust and whinin' sick-like and thinkin' I Gay-Cat, er else sell him on commission
meant to hit him, when all I wanted to do an' hand me the cash, see? I never meant
was hug his or'nary ol' hobo head. But I no harm, Frisco an' fellers. I jes' wanted
snared him into likin' me, and he lost his to make some jack, jes' wanted to--"
leary ways, and I erdopted him for my At length and broken-heartedly the Cry-
buddie. baby Kid began to cry. The derisive grins
"But Frisco - Red thought Gay-Cat 'ud and continual snickers had been too much
a-hurt me beggin'. He beat me up some- for him.
thin' turrible 'cause I let Gay-Cat drill No one noticed, in the sudden chill em-
right along and didn't try to lose him. barrassment caused by that faux pas in
He tried to croak off Gay-Cat by drowndin' road-kid etiquette, that one of the two
him in a -covered hoss-trough near Sac in gay-cats about the other blaze had risen
Califomy. to his feet. He was a big slouch-shouldered
"I turned horstile against Red then; but fellow, smudgy-faced with a week's stubble
I never could 'a' had the nerve on'y for of red hairs. Stooping as if engaged in the
Gay-Cat. I went at Red like I was crazy business of gathering wood for the fire, he
with walky. And Red with a razor, too, drew near the circle of road-kids as if to
wavin' it around and hollerin' he'd carve overhear what was going forward.
me up.
"First thing, I got that razor. Then I CHAPTER II
got Red. It were the Gay-Cat that
I
changed me and give me the guts to do it. An OLD ACQUAINTANCE
I'd still be a-beggin' and a-slavin' for Red
if Gay-Cat hadn't come drillin' along. But Portugee Kid gave the road-kids
the
Red, I sure surprized that stiff. I gives The "office" to lay off the rough stuff.
him the strong-arm. I curled him gaspin' Crybaby was making his whole push look
for air upon his back in the dirt. All the like a regular kindergarten A cold flash
bums with our push seen me done it. of command out of amber Iberian eyes
"Now I ain't no beggar for nobody but traveled from face to face and abruptly
me and Gay-Cat. I'm a free road-kid and quieted the boys, even Crybaby, who dared
so's Gay-Cat, and we likes the life. I thereafter only an occasional wobegonenc
wouldn't sell my buddie; no, not for no snuffle. Portugee then turned to the Frisco
money. Why ever did yer ask? Yer must Kid.