Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

Wise Men and a Mule 83 curtain built along two sides and the back, and we’ve got to have them stairs braced up a little before we can bring Maud S up into the hall.”’ “Is Maud S comin’ to the show?” asks Dirty. “She’s the ca-mel,” explains Magpie. “Goin’ to fix up some humps on her back and yuh never could tell her from a ca-mel. Sabe?”’ “Suppose she brays?”’ says Scenery. “Suppose she gestures?” says Dirty. “My ——,, but a mule can gesture.” “Maud S ain’t got a kick left in her old carcass,” grins Magpie. Just then Muley Bowles and Chuck War- ner shows up, and j joins us. “Hear you're goin’ to calebeate Christ- mas,” says Chuck, wiggling his ears. “Want the Cross J quartet to sing?” “Nope,” says Magpie. ‘This is goin’ , to be a sanitary proceedin’, and there ain’t goin’ to be nothin’ done that might incite violence. We’re just as much obliged as though you burned your shirt, Chuck.”’ “We'd sure be willing to help your ceremony,” says Muley. “We'd sing free gratis for nothin’, without chargin’ you a cent.” “Nope. I ain’t got nothin’ against you four punchers—not as individual human “beings, but——” “TI gets- your meanin’, Magpie,” says Chuck. “The Cross J ain’t good enough for your danged old half-baked celebration, eh? Our harmonious voices don’t fit into your blasted old program-me. We has suf- fered and bled that Piperock might make a success of their untisual doings, but from now on we don’t do a danged thing to help yuh out. Your tone of voice is a insult to four of the best singers in Yaller Rock county.” “81’m glad you understand what I meant,”’ says Magpie, mean-like. Muley and Chuck turns around and beats it for town. “TI reckon you know best, Magpie, but them four Cross J go-devils might do us wrong. Yuh might ’a’ let ’em sing one song,’ opines Testament. ““Let’s get back to the ca-mel,” suggests Magpie. “Let’s get away from Maud S,” says Dirty Shirt. Then cometh Tellurium Woods, the danged old bald-headed bunch of ‘wind. _He’s got a grin on his face. “I GOT a idea,” Says fe Sandy Claws.” “Where did yuh get it?” asks Mag- pie. ‘This is a Sandy Claw-less Christmas.” — ‘“‘Aw-w-w, yuh can’t do that,” wails Tellurium. ‘‘Whatcha tryin’ to do—put the celebration on the bum? Here’s the idea: I’ll dress up like Sandy Claws, and when everybody is there and the program is about over we'll have Wick at the door. Sabe? Somebody will give him messages from Sandy Claws. Each message will show that he’s that much closer. Everybody gets excited, don’t yuh see, and at the right time I comes in. Fine, eh?” “T seconds the motion,’ “T remember when I was a kid——”’ “T thirds it,” states Testament. “She’s a pious method, Tellurium. Beats having Sandy come down the chimbley.” “‘Well,”’ says Magpie, weary-like, “go ahead and do what yuh like, but I want this tab-lew to be just like I sees it. Testa- ment, will yuh look up something for the wise men to say, and how we want’s ’em to dress?” : “Yea, verily I will, Magpie.” “T can make me some whiskers out of a horse’s tail,” says Tellurium. “T hope the horse sees yuh takin’ them, ee says Magpie. Then the meeting broke up, ae we ad- journed to Buck’s place. Scenery is tickled stiff to think he’s goin’ . to be a actor, but I ain’t cheering—yet. — Me and Dirty Shirt are veterans in this — acting game, and we knows it takes nerve, speed and a strong constitution. The old Romans and their wild animal arena never had nothing of Piperock. She’s a place where milk comes in tin cans, and the only honey is what the sand-hornets puts up for their own use. Her motto is: “Hurrah for fire?” In Buck’s place we finds Muley and Chuck, and pretty soon Telescope Tolliver and Henry Peck comes in, which makes the Cross J quartet complete. “‘They won’t let us sing, Telescope,” says Muley, sad-like. “They won’t?” says Telescope, surprized. “Won’t let us sing?” “Not a note. Not only that but they Insults us a heap.” ‘Well,’ says Henry Peck. “Well, the nerve of the pelicans.” “Till be ! Who’s afraid of a little - + ) tal | woot '? a ’ says the judge, — s =comicbooks; co) CO ERE RANK Sieg . . —" 2 e a, K~% : ; ~ ae —— ke ” ~~. Se a” * a - os ~ ae eh. i, eS eee OS