Argosy, Vol. 111, No. 1 — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

166 that skirted the coast, growing up to with- in a hundred yards of the beach. ‘“‘ Mah bus’ness sho’ is gittin’ in a jam,” Pete muttered to himself as he walked along. Suddenly he brightened. “Dah now! I sees Kid Scoot. He kin fix everything up all right. ‘ Hey, Kid! Wait a minute. I wants to speak wid you.’ ” Kid Scoot was a States negro, and a prize-fighter who was said to have won many bouts on the Canal Zone, but after the work was completed there he had mi- grated to Tela, and was for the time being up against it financially. “ Kid, dat Big Gun is got me in uh bunch o’ trouble.” ‘‘ Say he is?” “Yeh.” Pete explained his predica- ment. ‘“Dem niggahs gwine hol’ you ’sponsible foh dat money?” ‘“T know dey is.” . ‘You started de lodge, an’ is de treas- urer, an’ dey gwine say you introduced Big Gun as a candidate foh membership.” “ Dat’s right.” ‘An’ now he’s de ’sistent treasurer, an’ got all de money.” “Yeh. An’ I ain’ s’posed to let him ‘have it, needer.”’ ‘“He’s gwine lose it or spen’ it all in a day or two.” _ “ Kid, you know I give you eatments once foh two weeks when you didn’t have nothin’.” ‘I ’members dat.” ‘“‘T wants you to go down to de Railroad Salume an’ git Big Gun on de outside an’ take dat money ’way fum him.” “You jes’ wants me to do uh little job, don’ you?” Kid Scoot’s sarcasm was evi- dent. ‘“-Now, but Kid—” “Dah ain’ no buts about it. You wouldn’t run into no buzz-saw, an’ I ain’ gwine do it.” “Is you skeered o’ Big Gun?” ‘“‘T ain’ skeered o’ nuthin’.” “Well, den, why don’ you do dis foh me, Kid? You knows I’s yo’ frien’.” “T knows dat you’s mah frien’. ain’ sputin’ "bout dat.” We THE ARGOSY. “You'll he’p me out, den?” “ Nothin’ doin’! Id git rested.” “You kin git some little boy whut don’ know you to go in an’ tell him uh woman wants to see him, an’ he’ll come out. Den you kin jes’ knock him cold, git de money, an’ git away fum dah in uh hurry.” “ Can’t do it.” ‘Kid, is you got any money?” ““ Not a cent.” ‘““T got five dollahs dat Ill give you if’n you'll do dat foh me.” “Five dollahs! Huh! If’n I took de money fum Big Gun I’d have mo’n dat.” “But dat would be robbin’. I only wants you to git de lodge money.” Kid Scoot had not eaten for two days, but Pete did not know that. Five dollars was big money to Kid just now. ‘““Gimme de five dollahs. I'll fix Big Gun.” After Kid Scoot had gone, Pete sat on the steps of a deserted house, waiting for him to reappear with the money. Five minutes went by—ten—twelve, and then he heard the roaring of a revolver, and an instant later Kid Scoot burst into view, closely followed by Big Gun, who was pouring hot lead after him. Kid Scoot did not stop to inform Pete just exactly in what manner his plan had miscarried. He would have had to crawl under the house if he had, as Pete had scuttled under the building like a crawfish. When Kid Scoot struck the ‘“ bush” at the edge of town, Big Gun turned and went back to the Railroad Saloon. | Peter crawled out from under the house and made his way home by a circuitous route. As he entered the gate he ran a hand in one of his pockets and felt the contact with something vaguely familiar. Slowly he brought the object from his pocket. It was the rabbit’s foot. Dis- gustedly his face set in a scowl, he threw it on the ground. Bones was not feeling good that eve- ning. He may have eaten something that did not agree with him, or it may have been the weather, but when Pete mounted the steps of his little shanty—Bones, who was lying across the top one, did not look up. GOMIIG OOO SS (CO