The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 2 — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

278 THE ‘Course, down around the barroom, away from the ladies, there’s been scrappin’ there; but not where Bill was_ floor- manager.” ‘So he’s wearin’ a white collar!” Red Hamblin muttered absently. ‘‘ Ain’t that nerve? A floor-manager up West Creek, an’ wearin’ a white collar!”’ Jim withdrew to cover the smile that began to snicker across his countenance. Shortly afterward Red Hamblin be- gan to edge toward the ballroom, which was on the top floor of the hotel. Though it was a ten-set ballroom, it was alive with dancing people. Around the! walls were long benches, interspersed with rows of wooden chairs, on which sat onlookers, some waiting for an opportunity to dance, and some just looking, their dancing days either not yet begun or else left behind. Over by the music-platform was Bill Bright, a big, broad man with a twanging voice. His hair was black, and plastered down with perfumed oil. His clothes were ot a large dark check. His apparel in- cluded, as Red observed, a white collar, a red necktie, a bosom shirt, and a waist- coat. More than that, he had on a pair of cuffs. Bill kept pulling the collar away from contact with his neck, and the slipping down of his cuffs obviously bothered him. But if Red recognized these as signs of unfamiliarity with collars and cuffs, it made no difference to him. As soon as the dance ended and the floor began to fill up again, Red caught a dancing-partner on the fly, and led her over to the vicinity of the music—and of the caller-off. There he began to swing and sway as the music opened up. When Bill Bright called, “ Ladies to the right!”” Red met the lady to his left with a low whoop of ecstasy and a leap in the air. Happily she knew the catch and the hold for that maneuver and went on breathless, but exhilarated. During the interval between dances, when all hands were catching their breath, Red Hamblin overheard Bill Bright re- ARGOSY. mark to a little woman sitting on a chair next to the platform: “The next time you get.~me to wear these dadgasted things you'll know it— Oh-h! All hands jine and circle aroun’!”’ ‘“That’s right!”’ Red remarked to him- self. ‘‘ The next time he wears ’em he won’t come to no dance where [I am!”’ Over by the doorway leading into the hall Jim Bigger was leaning against the jamb. When the set ended and Red Hamblin passed that way, Jim remarked to him: : “It’s so about Bill, ain’t it, Red?” “Oh, he’s got it on now, all right!” Ked answered, emphasizing the now, Red went down to the barroom, where he stood around, either immediately in front of the thick cherry slab or back by the door or window, getting the air. He didn’t crowd anybody away from the window, the baror the door. In fact, he was remarkably polite. He was even jocular in passing the time of the evening with men from the log- camps up the creek. One man, growing overfamiliar, began to talk in a loud voice about how he had whipped a big half- Indian down on the Erie Canal by Lock 36, and after whipping him had knocked him into the canal for good measure. ‘Hear that!” Ross Compty whispered to Red. ‘ He’s lookin’ for sunthin’.”’ “You ‘tend to him,” Red suggested. “I aint got time.” ‘“ You mean that—honest?”’ Ross asked with bated breath. ‘‘ Gee!” “Sure! Ain’t I a friend of yourn? I don’t want all the fun!” Ross swaggered over to the bar and called all hands up for a drink. The boaster refused. “ Me drink with youse?” he asked. Before the sneer and insult of voice and manner had been fully given Ross leaped at him. There was no choice between the two men. They mumbled and fumbled and wrestled, clawed and walloped around for several minutes. Some few men waded in, trying to be peacemakers, but Red stepped Go .TOO AUUG S Gol