Part 13 (1/2)
”That new supe at the Rainbow is getting pretty fly.” He apparently addressed Pierre.
Pierre bowed, in smiling acquiescence.
”Our little game is going to come to an end pretty soon, too.”
”To what li'l game you refer?” Pierre inquired, blandly. Pierre did not mind talking frankly with one; with two he weighed his words.
Morrison made an impatient gesture.
”You know. I told you about the old man's getting back that ore.”
Pierre rubbed his hands softly.
”Meestaire Firmstone, he's smooth stuff, ver' smooth stuff.”
”He's getting too smooth,” interrupted Luna. ”I don't mind a supe's looking out for his company. That's what he's paid for. But when he begins putting up games on the men, that's another matter, and I don't propose to stand it. Not for my part.”
”He's not bin populaire wiz ze boy?” inquired Pierre.
”No.”
Pierre chuckled softly.
”He keeps too much ze gla.s.s-eye on ze plate, on ze stamp, heh?”
”That's not all.”
”No,” Pierre continued; ”he mek ze sample; he mek ze a.s.say, hall ze time.”
”That's not all, either. He----”
”A--a--ah! He bin mek ze viseete in ze mill in ze night, all hour, any hour. Ze boy can't sleep, bin keep awake, bin keep ze han'--” Pierre winked knowingly, making a scoop with his hand, and thrusting it into his pocket.
Luna grinned.
”At ze mine ze boy get two stick powdaire, four candle, all day, eh? No take ten, fifteen stick, ten, fifteen candle, use two, four, sell ze res'?” Pierre again winked smilingly.
”You're sizing it up all right.”
”_Bien!_ I tol' you. Ze hol' man, he's bin hall right. I tol' you look out. Bimeby I tol' you again. Goslow. Da's hall.”
Morrison was getting impatient.
”What's the use of barking our s.h.i.+ns, climbing for last year's birds'
nests? The facts are just as I told you. The old man's getting too fly.
The boys are getting tired of it. The question is, how are we going to stop him? If we can't stop him can we get rid of him?”
”I can tell you one way to stop him, and get rid of him at the same time,” Luna broke in.
”How is that?” asked Morrison.