Part 1 (2/2)
We think he did
And then he saw through the chinks and apertures in the half ruined wall of what had once been a hay barn the rosy flare of a genial light which appeared to announce in all but huathered within No growling dogs, no bulking bulls contested the short stretch of weed grown ground between the road and the disintegrating structure; and presently tide, brown eyes were peering through a crack in the wall of the abandoned building What they saas a small fire built upon the earth floor in the center of the building and around the warth upon old straw; others squatted, Turk fashi+on All were sarets Blear-eyed and foxy-eyed, bearded and stubbled cheeked, young and old, were the men the youth looked upon All were more or less dishevelled and filthy; but they were hus The boy's heart went out to the that was almost a sob rose in his throat, and then he turned the corner of the building and stood in the doorway, the light froure clothed in its torn and ill fitting suit and upon his oval face and his laughing brown eyes For several seconds he stood there looking at the men around the fire None of theular tramps” He wondered that they had not seen hi his throat, he said: ”hello, tramps!”
Six heads snapped up or around Six pairs of eyes, blear or foxy, were riveted upon the boyish figure of the housebreaker ”Wotinel!”
ejaculated a frowzy gentleolf cap ”Wheredju blow from?” inquired another ”'hello, tramps'!” mimicked a third
The youth came slowly toward the fire ”I saw your fire,” he said, ”and I thought I'd stop I'hed the elderly person in the frock coat ”He's a traents like us has any tiht he be trampin', sonny, without his maw?”
The youth flushed ”Oh say!” he cried; ”you needn't kid me just because I'ed for the free life of a tra with you for a little while, and teach me, I'll not bother you; and I'll do whatever you say”
The elderly person frowned ”Beat it, kid!” he commanded ”We ain't runnin' no day nursery These you see here is all the real thing Maybe we asks fer a handout now and then; but that ain't our reg'lar way You ain't swift enough to travel with this bunch, kid, so you'd better duck
Why we gents, here, if as added up is wanted in about twenty-seven cities fer about everything frootta do soents like us, see?” The speaker projected a stubbled jaw, scowled horridly and swept a flattened palle to a hairy aresture of finality
The boy had stood with his straight, black eyebrows puckered into a studious frown, drinking in every word Now he straightened up ”I guess I etically ”You ain't tras like that” His eyes opened a bit wider and his voice sank to a whisper as the words passed his lips
”But you haven't so lar, too,” and froreenbacks and jewelry The eyes of the six registered astonishreed ”I just robbed a house in Oakdale,” explained the boy ”I usually rob one every night”
For a le e!” He of the frock coat, golf cap, and years waved a conciliatory hand He tried to look at the boy's face; but for the life of hi wealth clutched in the fingers of those two sled a pearl necklace which alone , at least a lesser member of a royal family, while diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and eht of the fire Nor was the fistful of currency in the other hand to be sneezed at There were greenbacks, it is true; but there were also yellowbacks with the reddish gold of large denoh that was asp
”Can't yuh take a kid?” he inquired ”I knew youse all along Yuh can't fool an old bird like The Sky Pilot--eh, boys?” and he turned to his comrades for confirmation
”He's The Oskaloosa Kid,” exclaimed one of the company ”I'd know 'im anywheres”
”Pull up and set down,” invited another
The boy stuffed his loot back into his pockets and came closer to the fire Its war chill He looked about higested a Kuppenoose, others in rags, all but one unshaven and all more or less dirty--for the open road is close to Nature, which is principally dirt
”Shake hands with Dopey Charlie,” said The Sky Pilot, whose age and corpulency appeared to stamp him with the hallinto the sullen, chalk-white face and taking the clammy hand extended toward hiure or was itof the bodily cold before the gloarmth of the blaze? ”And Soup Face,” continued The Sky Pilot A battered wreck half rose and extended a pudgy hand Red whiskers, redients of an infinite procession of semi-liquid refreshments, rioted promiscuously over a scarlet countenance
”Pleased to meetcha,” sprayed Soup Face It was a strained smile which twisted the rather too perfect mouth of The Oskaloosa Kid, an appellation which we must, perforce, accept since the youth did not deny it
Columbus Blackie, The General, and Dirty Eddie were formally presented
As Dirty Eddie was, physically, the cleanest member of the band the youth wondered how he had come by his sobriquet--that is, he wondered until he heard Dirty Eddie speak, after which he was no longer in doubt
The Oskaloosa Kid, self-confessed 'tralar, flushed at the lurid obscenity of Dirty Eddie's reuess you're a regular all right
Here, have a snifter?” and he pulled a flask fro it toward The Oskaloosa Kid