Page 18 - Adventure Magazine, 1921, July 18th

12 Adventure

"Who-Chick? Dunno, Cig. Mebbe he Sundry significant whispers and glances
run away." had passed between the road-kids of Portu-
Strong-Arm raised his head. He looked gee's push. Without ado, with indeed a
between the trees toward the outer confines stealthy precaution, Crybaby Kid got to his
of The Willows. A boy cowered U1ere in feet and slid out of the huddled circle into
the shadows. That boy was watching him darkness. A moment after another road-
with a fixed and poignant interest. He had kid vanished.
watched him since he approached the It was like a game of niggerbaby. Still
road-kids' fire. another road-kid tiptoed away, and then
That boy never for a moment remained there were eight. The Swede Kid went
till. FliUing from tree-trunk to tree-trunk next and then there were only seven.
with an uncanny restlessness, standing on One of the burly, bleak-faced hoboes
one leg at a time, rubbing the calf of the noticed the Swede Kid soft-footing it out
used leg with the toes of the other and for- of camp. His eyes followed that slouching
ever nervously shifting legs, he watched the little figure as if he, too, should like to steal
man with great peering eyes, stark as an silently away. But he was more fearful
animal's with fear. than the kids to mo_ve. He was afraid of
"Yuh won't do it, Chick?" Strong-Arm taking sudden alarm or anger
There was in the calling voice a tone that and maliciously using his gun.
showed the man had asked the que~tion B.etween Portugee and this bleak-faced
before. There was in that voice, also a blown-in-the-glass sat the Frisco Kid, the
certain note which showed he would not ask ragged-eared yellow mongrel between his
that question again. knees. The Kid knew that the boy skulk-
The boy cringed beneath the voice as ing on the edge of the firelight was about to
if beneath a blow. He turned as if to run be whipped unmercifully. Why that boy
and hide deeper in the shadows. Then, as was to be whipped he did not know, nor
if.drawn and compelled by the question, he did any one else save and excepting that
came slinking to the edge of the firelight, his man with the fanatical almond-shaped
legs dragging as if heavily weighted. eyes, waiting there so quiet and saturnine.
He was about ten years of age. His body But that was all sufficient.
was pitifully scant and scrawny. He wore The branches of the willows soughed
only a thin, faded, red sweater and knee- overhead. The acrid sharpness of the
trousers; and, although it was still April and wood-smoke edged every gust of wind.
the weather biting and wintry, he was un-
shod and bare-legged. S, THE boy came slowly into the bland
His was the face of a baby, small, inchoate lB firelight. He walked stiffly; wooden,
of feature, the great childish eyes red- brittle of stride. Walking, with
rimmed from much 'recent weeping. He him, was ard1J.ous labor; he seemed about to
might have been brother to Ci:ybaby Kid, fall at every tep. He halted once and
the two were so infantilely alike. retreated in sudden panic.
As with most children, he was not of a One could see the terrific inward struggle
strongly pigmented order; he was straw- on his quivering, white face. ' Instinct to]d
colored of hair and wan of complexion. him to run away; he wanted, dearly wanted,
Just now a path of pallor was upon each to run away; but rea on and many past
tear-streaked cheek like a coating of tliick experiences told him that to run away
rice powder, and his eyes were enlarged and would only add tenfold to the severit~ of
strained-looking with a sickening, abject the beating he eventually would receive.
fear. He came on at a snail' pace, his stiff legs
"Aw, I can't, Strong-Arm!" he answered dragging 1tnd logging progress. .
in a shaky, fluttering, thin voice. "Yer The man with the cold green eyes waited.
knows I'd love ter do ut, but I-I jes' can't. He made no move.
I'm too leary. Honest, Strong-Arm, I'd The boy did not look at the man. His
Jove t r; but I'm leary; I'm scared stiff!" wide baby eyes were rigid in a terribl fas-
"Come here!" said Strong-Arm with cination upon those knotted susp nd rs
aturnine finality. dangling idly but portentously b th
He spread his legs and waited, the sus- man's side.
penders dangling from an idle hand. Once his abject eyes flutt r d up t th