Part 4 (1/2)
”You know a fellow up in Harlem,” howled the tall man. ”Up in Harlem!
How the d.i.c.kens are we to--say, you're crazy!”
”We can take a cab,” cried the other, waxing indignant.
The tall man grew suddenly calm. ”Do you know any one else?” he asked, measuredly.
”I know another fellow somewhere on Park Place.”
”Somewhere on Park Place,” repeated the tall man in an unnatural manner.
”Somewhere on Park Place.” With an air of sublime resignation he turned his face to the wall.
The freckled man sat erect and frowned in the direction of his companion. ”Well, now, I suppose you are going to sulk. You make me ill!
It's the best we can do, ain't it? Hire a cab and go look that fellow up on Park--What's that? You can't afford it? What nonsense! You are getting--Oh! Well, maybe we can beg some clothes of the captain. Eh? Did I see 'im. Certainly, I saw 'im. Yes, it is improbable that a man who wears trousers like that can have clothes to lend. No, I won't wear oilskins and a sou'-wester. To Athens? Of course not! I don't know where it is. Do you? I thought not. With all your grumbling about other people, you never know anything important yourself. What? Broadway? I'll be hanged first. We can get off at Harlem, man alive. There are no cabs in Harlem. I don't think we can bribe a sailor to take us ash.o.r.e and bring a cab to the dock, for the very simple reason that we have nothing to bribe him with. What? No, of course not. See here, Tom Sharp, don't you swear at me like that. I won't have it. What's that? I ain't, either. I ain't. What? I am not. It's no such thing. I ain't. I've got more than you have, anyway. Well, you ain't doing anything so very brilliant yourself--just lying there and cussin'.” At length the tall man feigned to prodigiously snore. The freckled man thought with such vigour that he fell asleep.
After a time he dreamed that he was in a forest where ba.s.s drums grew on trees. There came a strong wind that banged the fruit about like empty pods. A frightful din was in his ears.
He awoke to find the captain of the schooner standing over him.
”We're at New York now,” said the captain, raising his voice above the thumping and banging that was being done on deck, ”an' I s'pose you fellers wanta go ash.o.r.e.” He chuckled in an exasperating manner. ”Jes'
sing out when yeh wanta go,” he added, leering at the freckled man.
The tall man awoke, came over and grasped the captain by the throat.
”If you laugh again I'll kill you,” he said.
The captain gurgled and waved his legs and arms.
”In the first place,” the tall man continued, ”you rescued us in a deucedly shabby manner. It makes me ill to think of it. I've a mind to mop you 'round just for that. In the second place, your vessel is bound for Athens, N.Y., and there's no sense in it. Now, will you or will you not turn this s.h.i.+p about and take us back where our clothes are, or to Philadelphia, where we belong?”
He furiously shook the captain. Then he eased his grip and awaited a reply.
”I can't,” yelled the captain, ”I can't. This vessel don't belong to me.
I've got to--”
”Well, then,” interrupted the tall man, ”can you lend us some clothes?”
”Hain't got none,” replied the captain, promptly. His face was red, and his eyes were glaring.
”Well, then,” said the tall man, ”can you lend us some money?”
”Hain't got none,” replied the captain, promptly. Something overcame him and he laughed.
”Thunderation,” roared the tall man. He seized the captain, who began to have wriggling contortions. The tall man kneaded him as if he were biscuits. ”You infernal scoundrel,” he bellowed, ”this whole affair is some wretched plot, and you are in it. I am about to kill you.”
The solitary whisker of the captain did acrobatic feats like a strange demon upon his chin. His eyes stood perilously from his head. The suspender wheezed and tugged like the tackle of a sail.