Page 14 - Adventure Magazine, 1921, July 18th

8 Atl \'Cnturc
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ec'tl. She lh·"s nll nt,.mc with nbout thh ty ant note or n·nli~m, mo~t nppcaling to the
CT fort)' d, 'fg l'l\ t lH• lll.\1 \ 0\l t id1• hl\\'11 1 lw. a I' IS of Jarg(•-hosomcd women at the time
an' he • u l' lw' hur~till' tcr l'\'l'r\'h01h· lmt of nudal lll'td.
\ the 1 " t o' the '''wnh.•" ln;1k oi1 her 'l'lw t' full g1 n\\'11, hlcak-farcd hoboes cul-
ortcr like n \dtdt. But thev'n• a nwan tival!·d anollwr ort nf cfficicnc,•. It \\,lS
Orner· fnmd n' skinllint~ as· 'ud !'l'l the nnl for I hl'm to look I r,l\·cl-dust\· and nul-
dorgs on \ uh, "hill' ~tw take:; ) cr in au' at-dhow~. The m•arcr tlwv r~i.cmblcd in
t~d .. \Cr tc,\k llltHh\'n;d in onilln~.·· l'kanlim•-.s awl rC5)WC'ttlbilit'y of attire the
"sht:' ,hm't kl, p them f,,rt' d1.lg:' in her folk tht')' p.mhandlccl, the better for their
:unr as hl'r lll\ll\l')', docs ~he?'' stomach::-.
'\ uh hddt.l ~he ,hm't! There's a kinda Each wore black onr. lis outside trou:.crs
bu~~' ,•r h,,._~ ..... hl·d run~ around bl'hind the and clo.;e-buttoncd coat. 2\ctkcrchicf::. wert.:
h,,u~c. likl' the plat'c wa~ om:ct n road- wound about I heir throats, and on their
h,,Hsc. an' tlwt hu:'s-::;hcd is all fenced up heads \n'rc tight-fitting dark caps. One
"ith \\in· s,r~.·,·n in' an' the dorgs behind, wore owr his oYcralls a blue trainman's
h:ukin' likt• a bunch o' dern fools whcnl'vcr jumper. At the first farmhouse or com-
:t ~trangt•r nmlt'~. Tlwt's bow she makes munity to he ha.ttcrcd for a handout the
ht'r livin', rni,in' them dorgs; perlice dorgs overalls 1 ht1t protected trou::.crs from oi!:
an' 'l<H·daks, mainh·. stains and dust of railroading, the necker-
• !:--h~.-'sa quct•r un, 'an right. Thet's why chiefs that kept cotton shirts clean, and
~h, hidl'S her monev in the house. Lost even the hluc jumper would be ~toughed
--omc in n hank-failin' oncet, an' she don't off and cached away beneath a bush or
trust monLy out of her sight no more." rock-pile.
Forth would they emerge as irom so many
TilE Frisco Kid chanced to turn drab chrysalides, white of shirt collar. dean
his head, in flipping away the butt of trousers and coat. To the suspicious
of a burned cigaret. :Midway be- eye of the hou~cwife and e\'en to the cynical
tween the two hobo tlres and so near that he eye of patrolman or constable there would
could O\'crhcar l'Wry word uttered by the be naught to mark them as anything but
hoys W:l" the hig :'\ouch-shouldered gay-cat. respectable workmen O\'Crtaken by tem-
It was diilicult to distinguish the fellow; porary hard luck.
his outline was dimmed and blurred by They made at once for the fire of the
reason of his position, remote from either push. To the road-kids. they noJded greet-
tire in the ::ohadow of the willow-trees. ing with an odd ci,·ility that was almost
But the :,ound of rattling lcaYcs had not deference. Dut they had e\'ery right to
come from him. He was standing perfectly join Porlugee Kid's push in common com-
motionless, nol even making a pretense of munity and to help thl•m.;d\'(~5 to the ro..'ld-
gathering wood-chips. As the Frisco Kid kids' stew, as they quietly procl"Cded to d().
glimp,cd him, he wac; cocking his bulbous No gay-cat~. these, to Le ignored, isolatoo
head to one !'ide in an attitude of harkening. and tabued. I Icrc wt:rc thrl"c blown-iu-
The rattle of lca\·cs underfoot persisted, the-gla~s.
and into the jungle, in single file, slouched
spineles ly tlm.~c newcomer.-. E\·idently the THE Frj,.co Kid looked quickly at
trio had arri\'i!d on that clamorou:, pas.scn- the g,\)-C:Jt t:awsdropping in the
g~r train, ha\'ing riclclcn the blind-baggage ~haclow~. Rut the burh•fl'llow had
carg or rods hcneath until thev had been hc:rome ·:marc of the Kid'~ ;UtTeillance.
ditched \\hen the train halted at the Stooping and pilking up '\\OOd-chi~ and
water-tank. twi"s. he ~a' mo,-ing circuitou ... ly back
They wen• full-grown and husky fcllo\\S, toward his 0\\ n ftrl'. rerh. ps the nppc r-
all thn.>e. Each hac! a hk·ak-cdgecl, ema- anee of the three blown-in-thc-gla........ tilT
ciated, n:markably sallow face·. the 1)1)irnl hacl added to his caution.
hobo face. "Who's thun bum~ over nt that other
" nlikc the rtmd-kid , 1 ht~,· Wl:rl.' not ch11l fir , Port ugee?" asked thl' Kid udd nl}.
in· ill-fitting c: 1 t-off::.. 'I he· forlorn rngs nf Portugec made n grima l' of loathing.
tl1c rua<i ki I nrc pari n11tl p:u~d ol his "C:n l .. ll ,.,
dJi iency. The\' giH hi pileous nng and "\n; tlt('\·o IC'ttt:r keep th ir ui"t
da.n c hi b g •ing :sttlr)-a tcrwin poign- 1 hl m mcasl) issor bilb., ' :ipok up (''