Part 23 (2/2)
”Bim,” said the other, ”B-I-M Christian naels Say, when I was a kid--I've got a photograph way holets!”
Malinkoff chuckled softly
”This is the Aot aith ten million roubles,” he said
Cherry Bile deht--but I didn't know they was roubles I _should_ excite ot word that it was French money”
”There was another arette--there had been no atteed Cherry Bi a stub from his waistcoat pocket ”Yes,” he puffed, ”Isaac Moskava--they killed poor old Issy He was a good feller, but too--too--what's the hen a feller falls to every daested Malcolot aith twenty thousand dollars' worth of real sparklers in Petrograd They used to belong to a princess, and we took 'em off the lady friends of Groobal, the Food Coested we should beat it across the Swedish frontier But no, he had a girl in Moscow--he was that kind of guy who could sazed at the man in wonderment
”Do I understand that you are a--a----” He hesitated to describe his co that it was a very delicate position
”I'm a cavalier of industry,” said Cherry Bim, with a flourish
”Chevalier is the word you want,” suggested Malcoleniality
”It's all one,” said the other cheerfully ”It uess?
Don't think,” he said seriously, ”don't you think that I'un-men you can buy for ten dollars, because I'ht uns I could use a gun when I was seven,” he said
”My dad--God love him!--lived in Utah, and I was born at Broke Creek and cut my teeth on a '45 I could shoot the tail-feathers off a fly's wing,” he said ”I could shoot the nose off a mosquito”
It was the deceased Isaac Moskava who had brought hiitives to Canada, and Isaac, who had friends in a dozen Soviets, had painted an entrancing picture of the pickings which were to be had in Petrograd They worked their way across Canada and shi+pped on a Swedish barque, working their passage before the mast At Stockhole paid to the capital, whereafter things ell
”Have you got any food?” asked Cherry Bim suddenly ”They starve you here Did you ever eat _schie_? It's hot water se”
”Have you been tried?” asked Malinkoff, and the man smiled
”Tried!” he said conteoin' to happen to you? Do you think you'll go up before a judge and hire a lawyer to defend you? Notfunny to tell you Look here”
He leapt up on to the bench with surprising agility and stood on tiptoe, so that his eyes caave a view of another cell
”Look,” said Cherry Bi
At first he could see nothing, for the cell was darker than the roouished a huddled foralvanized to life It was an oldin his terror
”I am awake! I am awake!” he screamed in Russian ”_Gospodar_, observe me! I a, and then, with a long sigh, he climbed back to the bench and turned his back to the wall Malcollances with Malinkoff, who had shared the view