The Argosy, March 1907 — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

722 dead Chinaman in that cell if Marren didn’t change him. Fortunately the Chink’s Sunday-school teacher—one of those sweet young ladies who never dis- cover the guile in the ordinary laun- dryman—came and bailed him out before Barney was forced to become a subject for the electric chair. And so five weeks of Wib’s- incar- ceration went by. Bella had been each week to see him; but he had run out of money, and spoke so harshly to her when she had begged him to let her bring him food just the same that she had gone away, the last time, in tears. He had grown morose and _ irritable. Although he knew that he was fast dropping into a state of mind like that of Old John, he seemed unable to help .himself. He could not laugh and gibe at fate as Billy Grist did, nor could he take the hard.knocks doggedly, like Barney. It came the last day of the fifth week. He knew his board had been paid up to six o’clock that night, and he had every reason to believe that Crosscup & Fysher would send another check for their client, to settle, perhaps, for four weeks more in advance. Yet he could not go in and ask Marren if his money had come. The uncertainty of it was the only breath of hope he had. He would wait until morning be- fore inquiring how much more Lomark had “put up” for revenge. , That afternoon it began to rain, and there was a change in the usual march- ing order of the various gangs back to their cells. The debtors usually fol- lowed the jail men in, and were well out of the way before the State convicts came across from the shops; but as Wib and his comrades entered under the arch- way by the main corridor door they found a gang of county-jail men stand- ing in line, waiting for the officer to beckon them in. They stood close together, but the at- tention of the officers being somewhat engaged, the men did not observe that decorum usually demanded of them. Some of them grinned and winked at the debtors as they slouched along. One or two were communicating with “ lip language,” meanwhile keeping a sharp eye upon the officers. THE ARGOSY. Suddenly Wib saw that one man had left the line and was crowding his way ahead between his mates and the wall. If his motions were noticed at all by the other prisoners, they seemed agreed to give him his way. His was an undersized figure, and he crouched as he moved swiftly on, re- minding Wib of a cat “sneaking” on its prey. Suddenly he came within striking distance of that prey, and then leaped! Wib shouted and ran forward. The whole line of prisoners was in confusion in an instant. The little man had sprung upon the back of a taller fellow, and now both striped bodies were rolling on the gravel in a desperate struggle. The breaking up of the rank kept the officers from the scene for several seconds. Wib saw the bigger fellow whirl over con his back and strive to seize the little man’s throat. But the latter was the more agile. He knelt upon the other’s chest, his left hand holding his enemy’s head hard upon the ground, his right arm drawn back for the blow. And when Wib saw what that threat- ening hand contained he shrieked aloud again. The gang was from the shoe- shop, and this fellow had hidden about his person in some way a short-handled, heavy-headed hammer. If it ever fell upon the upturned brow of the under man, his brains would be spattered about the gravel! A shrill whistle called the officers within earshot to the rescue. Those in charge of this excited gang were fight- ing their way to the center, despite the fact that the members of it evidently proposed to let the little man have his will with his enemy. But before Wib the way was free. He saw the hand holding the hammer de- scending in a lightning-like stroke; but he was almost over the two, and he caught the little fellow’s wrist with both — hands, yanked him up suddenly, and whirled him over on his back. It was over in a moment. The ham- mer dropped from the fellow’s hand, and Wib recognized him as Bella’s brother, Jimmy Hoke. His eyes then fell upon the face of the one who had been overborne. Blood Gomichbooks.co m