Part 59 (2/2)
”Good luck,” he reood luck?”
”Mac's father accidentally struck oil on his farm”
”Well, what of it?”
”Three hundred barrels a day Rich Got his son a pardon”
”But on what ground did they dismiss your application? They know you are innocent”
”District Attorney came to me 'You're innocent, we know Tell us who did theto tell Pardon refused”
”Is there any hope later on, Aleck?”
”When the present administration are all dead, perhaps”
Slowly he passes on, at the approach of a guard He walks weakly, with halting step
”Old Saain, his liain, friend Aleck,” he setically ”What could I do?
The old woman died, an' my boys went off somewhere Th' farm was sold that I was borned in,” his voice trembles with emotion ”I couldn't find th' boys, an' no one wanted y',[52] they told me I couldn't, Aleck I've worked all me life; I don't want no charity I made a bluff,” he smiles between tears,--”Broke into a store, and here I anize ”Tough” Monk arade men For years he had been kept in stripes, and constantly punished for bad work in the hosiery department He was called the laziest man in the prison: not once in five years had he accomplished his task But the new Warden transferred him to the construction shop, where Monk was employed at his trade of blacksmith ”I hated that daht now, an' the Major says I'm the best worker in th'
shop Wouldn't believe it, eh, would you? Major promised me a ten-spot for the fancy iron work I did for them 'lectric posts in th' yard Says it's artistic, see? That's ht; it's work I like I won't lose any time, either Warden says Old Sandy was a fool forpaws of low of pleasure I ood-natured boy looks old and infirm His kindness has involved him inthe faults of others, and now the Inspectors have inforreater part of his coroith worry over the uncertainty of release Every oes to-day, Aleck,” he hopefully smiles as I pause at his cell But the weeks pass The suspense is torturing the young negro, and he is visibly failing day by day
A falad t' see an old pal?” Big Dave beams on me with his cheerful smile
”No, Davy I hoped you wouldn't co sooner than coet a chanc't You see,” he explains, his tone full of bitterness, ”I goes t' work and gets a job, good job, too; an' I keeps 'way from th' booze an' me pals But th' damn bulls was after me Got me sacked from me job three times, an' den I knocked one of 'em on th'
head damn his soul to hell, wish I'd killed 'ie, and he soaks ht for tryin' t' be straight”
IV
In the large cage at the centre of the block, the ate in their idle moments The shadows steal silently in and out of the inclosure, watchful of the approach of a guard Within sounds the hu about the sawdust barrel, absorbed in ”Snakes” Wilson's recital of his protracted struggle with ”Old Sandy” He relates vividly his persistent waking at night, violent sta on the floor, cries of ”Murder! I see snakes!”
With ad upon the lips of the old cri finally forced the forn ”Snakes” a special roo propensities would beco the moment he would be transferred to a cell For ten years the struggle continued, involving nueon, and the strait-jacket, till the Warden yielded, and ”Snakes” was permanently established in the coroups stand about the cage, boisterous with the wit of the ”Four-eyed Yegg,” who styles hi the intricacies of the co the baseball pennant the following season, and next Sunday's dinner With nation of the Deputy Warden is discussed The Major is gradually weeding out the ”old gang,”
it is gossiped A colonel of the militia is to secure the position of assistant to the Warden This source of conversation is inexhaustible, every detail of local life serving for endless discussion and heated debate But at the 'lookout's' whiuard, the circle breaks up, eachOfficer Mitchell passes by; with short legs wide apart, he stands surveying the asse eyebrows
”Quiet as randhty busy, every daot here, eh?”