Argosy, Vol. 111, No. 1 — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

NOT SO GOOD. 165 led the way to the dog. Pete saw a small, yellow canine that was evidently descended from every breed of dog under the sun. He had the ears of a bloodhound, the jaws of a bull dog, and the head of a Boston ter- rier. ‘“He’s jes’ dawg, ain’t he,” Pete com- mented. ‘‘ Whuh did you git him, boss?” ‘““He just came along. Been hanging around here a day or so. I’ve been bring- ing him something to eat. I’ve got no place to keep him. Here’s a dollar. Take him home with you and buv him something to eat. He’s about starved.” “Thanky, boss. I'll have disfdawg so fat in a few weeks he wa’n’t know hissef, yassuh, dat’s so.” Pete had a job getting the dog home. He carried him part of the way, dragged him part of the way, and the dog walked part of the way, but they finally got there, and Pete spent half the night doctoring, feeding, and rubbing the animal. “Bones is a good name fo’ you, ol’ fel- lah, fo’ dat’s whut you is,” he told the canine in christening him. A day or so later Pete saw Big Gun in the Railroad Saloon, favorite rendezvous. for Tela’s colored population. ‘“Wondah whuh dat niggar got money to buy whisky wid—I wondah if’n he’s usin’ de lodge money?” Cold perspiration steod out on Pete’s forehead. He knew what would happen to him if Big Gun made way with the lodge money. He entered the saloon as quietly as he could. | _“ Mistah Big Gun, please, suh, could I keep de lodge money till in de mawnin’— j ee ‘‘ Git outa heah, ol’ niggah. Fade away. Den’ you projec’ roun’ me. I’s bad medi- cine, I is, an’ I ain’t gwine stan’ no fool- ishness fum you.” “ Dat’s all right, Mistah Big Gun; I didn’t want no rookus wid you.” ‘“ Rookus wid me?” Big Gun laughed. “Tf ’n you had a rookus wid me, you wouldn’t nevah have nothin’ wid nobody else. Git out’n heah, ’fo’ I blows you through dat wall. wid mah gun. I’s bad medicine, an’ ain’ gwine stan’ no pestifica- tion fum no ol’ niggah lak you.” Pete hurried out. He could hear Big Gun and his friends laughing at the man- ner in which he had been disposed of. ‘‘ Big Gun’s showin’ off ‘fo’ dat crowd o’ Jamaica niggahs. Kin’ of a new crowd in dah. Mus’ jes’ got heah. Dis crowd don’ say ‘ Hi ham hin ha ’urry,’ plac’n ‘ I’s in a hurry.’ Dey tawks lak white fo’ks, an’ when niggahs tawks lak white fo’ks it’s time fo’ ole Pete to be gettin’ away quick.” Pete walked down the street a short dis- tance, and was standing looking at the low mountains that stood just back of- Tela, when he heard some one calling to him: ‘‘ Mistah Pete! Mistah Pete!” Joe Wallace came hurrying up. ‘Whut does you want, Joe?” ‘“Mistah Pete, you knows Sat’d’y night is lodge night.” ‘Yeh. Whut ’bout dat?” ‘““De members all done ’cided to vote at dat meetin’ to order de regalias. Dey wants to dress up an’ p’rade some.” “Us ain’ got ’nough money to buy de regalias.”’ ‘““Mistah Hooper, de ’Merican white man whut’s got de sto’, say he’ll git de things fum de States an’ let us pay foh dem in ’stalments, but he’s got to have whut money we’s got on han’ in ’vance. De members all say dat’s whut dey gwine do.” ‘“‘ Dat will have to be voted on.” ‘Dey gwine vote on it Sat’d’y night, an’ den dey’s gwine right to Mistah Hoop- er wid de money an’ git de things ordered. You an’ Big Gun is mighty close together, an’ iffn Big Gum is got dat money you better git hold to it, cause dey’s gwine be trouble if’n dat money ain’ on han’ Sat’d’y night, an’ I understan’ Big Gun is spendin’ money right an’ lef’.” * Ubuh.” : Pete realized that he was up against it strong. He knew that there was no way to prevail on Big Gun to give him the money; he knew that without the money he was certain to have trouble Saturday night. In this troubled frame of mind Pete walked out to the eastern edge of the town and strolled along under the coconut-trees CoOnniclooolks