10-Story Book, July 1931 — page 53: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

10-STORY BEGINS ITS 30TH SUCCESSFUL YEAR! 5] (Continued from page 49) one o’ us, so you see dey aint no time to lose. In ’sideration 0’ dis, if’n you'll fin’ Pot- licker Dan foh me befo’ Sat’day mawnin’ at 9 o’clock I'll give you fifty dollahs.” Pete frowned and shook his head. “I aint sayin’ I could fin’ him, Goodtimes, but if I did I’d’ have to have mo’ dan dat. I’d hab ter sen’ out fo’ks huntin’ foh him, mebbe, an’ dat would take money. Why don’ you fin’ him yose’f ?”’ Goodtimes shook his head. “Can’t. I done tried. An’ I aint got no time to lose. Kid Scoot may fin’ him fus. Now Pete,” and Goodtimes lowered his voice, altho there was no one except Bones to hear. “I done got a hint dat you is mad wid Scoot, even if’n he don’ know it, so I wants you to he’p me out. Dey’s two hundred dollahs in it foh you, pervidin’ you git Potlicker Dan to me by de time I said.” “T’ll try, Goodtimes. Dat niggah is hard to fin’ sometimes, you know. He’h heah, dah an’ ev ywhuh. I dun heerd ‘bout a dozen places he’s exposed to be at. Some say Truxillo; some say Tegucigalpa, an’ some say e Pete was interrupted. “He aint at Trux- illo, an’ he aint at Tegucigalpa. He is jes’ disappeared. I dun telegrafted dem places. Dat’s why I’m offerin’ you de reward.” .“Well, I gwine try ter win it.” Pete thought for a moment. “Come ‘long wid me, Goodtimes.” A short time later a paper was drawn up and signed in the presence of Phil Rozier, a clerk in the offices of the United States Fruit Company, to the effect that when Rozier notified Goodtimes that Pete had located and was ready to deliver Potlicker Dan, Goodtimes was to pay to Pete two hundred dollars. The agreement was made to read in this manner, because neither negro trusted the other. Then in some manner Kid Scoot learned of this agreement between Pete and Good- times. Pete had just strolled into a store to buy some suspenders, when Kid Scoot laid a heavy hand on his shoulder. ‘“Whut you doin’ now old niggah?” Pete grinned. ‘“Pshaw now, Kid, whut you means speakin’ lak you wuz mad dat way foh? I jes’ gwine buy me some ex- penders.” Kid scowled. “You aint gwine need no expenders, no pants, no nothin’ essceptin’ a coffin, when I gits th’u payin’ you foh dou- ble-crossin’ and sellin’ me out lak you’s been doin’.” Pete’s lower lip trembled. means, Kid?” “Whut you “You knows what I means. You dun tol’ Goodtimes “bout how you aint de kin’ o’ friend to me you makes out lak you is, an’ you's ’greed to he’p him find Potlicker Dan.”’ Kid made a swipe with a heavy right that would have put Pete out of business had it landed. But it didn’t land. Pete broke all records between the store and his house. And when he reached his house, he kept going. The old man was very careful to keep away from Kid Scoot for the remain- der of the day. ID SCOOT was just about as near crazy as men can get. Crystal certainly was giving him no encouragement. Good- times, while taking good care to keep out of arm’s length of the prizefighter, was doing all the crowing that he felt entitled to do. Goodtimes, and every one who knew of his trade with Pete, felt sure that Pete would deliver the goods. The old man had been in that country for more than twenty years. He knew where every one went, and what they did when they got there. He had ways of learning things that no one else seemed to have, so luck seemed to be favoring Good- times, since it was generally understood that Potlicker Dan had no special need for the ground in question and would sell to the first person offering him any such sum as $300. Following his attempt to put Pete out of ECORNICIOOKS.E© mn