Page 15 - Adventure Magazine, 1921, July 18th

Children of the Road 9

Jimmy, as if he loo had noticed the eaves- dropping sat hunched before the chattering
dropper. "I ain't got no use fer them gay- blaze in a gloomy attitude, chin cupped in
~ts. We ought never ~er allowed 'em ter hand. But under his heavy brows he was
Jungle-up here anyways." watching the Frisco Kid as he drew near,
"\.Vell, it was on'y because one o' them the dog at his heels.
hums used ter be a blowed-in-the-boUle as The man's face looked coarse and bloated
good as yuh 'n' me " ex1)lained Porlugee. from the stubble of red hairs on his cheek.
'
l '
. "B ut . 1e s gone ter the d ·gs now," per-. His nose was fatly bulbous.
s1sted C1garet surlily. "He's travelin' with The Frisco Kid recognized with a start
a sure enough gay-cal an' wot's more he's that nose and bloated face. So did the
1
woik.in' like a gay-cat hisself. He's bill- Gay-Cat. The dog backed away, hair
postin' fer Iligley's Circus. See thet hoss bristling along his spine, a low growl rum-
an' wagon off ter one side?" · bling in his throat.
"Which of the two no-accounts do yer "Hello, Frisco Red." .
mean?" asked the Frisco Kid. "That one The man that had formerly been the
I jes' catch~d inchin' up here, tryin' to git Kid's hobo-master did not look up. Mo-
an earful bout Miss Heffernan an' her rosely he studied a red wood-ember that had
thousand-dollar year-dale?" been spewed out at his feet.
"Was he listenin', Frisco. I thought as " 'Lo, Kid," surlily in a voice that throat-
how he was pick.in' up chips." trouble or a liking for strong whi~ky had
"Was he listenin'? Aw, say now, Por- thickened into an unbelievably hoarse bass.
tugee! He were snoopin' round on the "What ,yer doin' nowadays, Red?I'
edge of the firelight, and his ears was big "Can't youse see?"
as cauliflowers an' hangin' out a mile. "What-that tethered hoss an' wagon
"Listenin'? Why, he had his mouth over there? Workin', eh? But what's be-
gawpin' open like he was catchin' flies! hind the bill-postin' job, Red; what's the
Burhe got me when I give him a nasty look, graft?" ·
and he pussy-foots it right back where he The man put out a heavy brogan and
belongs and no foolin' ! That ain't the gay- viciously kicked the ember back into the
cat yer mean-the big fat stiff?" many-tongued exuberance of flame. He
"That's him," Portugee nodded. "The looked up at the boy, his small pig-like eyes
fat one, the strawberry blond." tinged red by the fueligh t.
"What's ·his monaker?" "Wot d'~h mean, graft? Can't a bloke
"Dunno, Frisco. Haven't hearn his pal woik an' play it straight? Where'd yuh
call him any yet," said Portugee. . "But git thet stuff, Kid?"
I'm sure I seen him some time ergo, some "Oh, no harm meant, Red. I was jes'
place. I know his face, but I jist can't wonderin', old-timer. Kinder funny to see
place it. Bul I'll lay money thet when I yer workin', that's all."·
seen him last he was travelin' hobo fashion Frisco Red grunted sourly. He was
as a real blowed-in-the-glass. How'd I 'a.' quick to change the subject.
noticed him otherwise?" "Still got the dorg, I see, Kid," he aid
"Mebbe he's some old-timer wot has lost in his whisky voi , a leer far from affable
his kid," spoke up the Swede Kid sagely, upon his r d-slubbled face.
"an' has growed too fat an' lazy, wot wiih "Yuh bet ha," was th proud r joinder.
easy livin' off his prushun beggin', .to git by "We're som buddic m - and Ga·- at.
as a hobo alone." We'v hobo d ,ome. in 1 w 1 ft · r, ·Ped."
"Er mebbe," was Cigaret Jimmy's con- \ "H bo d?" nort l the man ifovrly.
jecture, "he's a old-timer wot has toined II look d up at th boy with de p cal u-
horslile ter everybody an' gone in fer gun- lation in hi. pig rv y s.
work. He's got a ugly face, an' his graft "But uh ain't n ·v r hob d back to the
don't look no good ter me. Bill-p stin', wall y, ha ycr, Yid; yuh ain't n \'lr ~one
huh! There's somethin' cro k d under- back toy r ma, th I dcly in th shawl,,,. )t?
neatl " Ih ar h 'sb t:n.-waitin'f rync t:r. n·~
"He looks kinder familiar to me., too," th t day thr y ar ago wh n r jt i1wd ut
~aid the Frisco Kid thoughtfully. "Think with th l ircu ."
1'11 give him the once over and dost up." Th Fris o Kid clid not ·rn wcr.
The burly gay-cat who had l> en av s- with d p-sunk y s, h star d int