Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 118: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

116 drain like a squirrel up a tree. He don’t weigh nothing anyhow. “Then he’d edge along the gutter till he got in line with a window. He’d pick a hall window. See? Then he’d hook a silk rope on the gutter, let himself down till he was right opposite the window. Then he’d swing gently till he got a foot on the win- dow-sill. See? He’d open the window, give the rope a flip and loosen the hook, stick it in his pocket an’ go through the house quicker’n a pete man through a tin can.”’ Unfortunately the fly-cops had sort of lost track of Billy the Dude. His old haunts knew him not. He moved about with caution, and he and Silkeen were lying low or going out only among friends that could be trusted—such as hung out at Tony Batteto’s. SUDDENLY Silkeen’s left hand a? reached out in a warning, tense grip on Middleton’s arm, and Silkeen crouched, automatic out, peering at the solid blackness. Middleton had heard nothing, not though his ears too had been trained in a peni- tentiary to catch the faint furtive footfall of a screw the instant it sneaked onto the gallery. Silkeen had gone through two prisons, leaving the last in company with Middle- ton when they departed without permis- sion and amid the crack of guns. Silkeen’s hearing was as sensitive as the sand-papered fingertips of a cracksman. A door opened almost noiselessly, but Middleton could hear that. They stood rigid, without breathing. The door was not fifteen feet away. Middleton had an ‘electric torch in his hand, but to light it might be the signal for guns to talk. The door had opened, but no one came out. Instead, here was a low, soft, clucking sound which Silkeen answered at once. Billy was excited, but he had known bet- ter than to be careless in the way that he came out of the door. Silkeen might have plugged him. It wasn’t likely; but waiting in the dark for the —— alone knows what puts a ragged edge on the best of nerves. Besides, if you make a pal jumpy and get hurt, you haven’t any holler coming. It’s your own fault. He’s the one _ that Adventure has a grievance for getting a scare like that. “Say,” he began reproachfully, “dat pea makes a roar like a cannon-ball. I t’ought de house was comin’ down. Them parties never hear it. Dey got somet’in’ on, b’lieve me. An’ dey don’t want nobody to get hep.” : ““W’at’s doin’? W’at dey say?” “What did you hear, Billy?” “‘Say—dem——”’ “Shh-hh-h”’ came a low, viperous warn- ing from Silkeen. In his excitement Billy was letting his voice go to a loud whisper. ““He’s shakin’ her down hard. See? De jane tells she ain’t got no jack. He comes back wit’ somet’in’ I don’t hear, but she says: “*T got jewels. Il yell I been robbed. Take ’em, you lousy bum, an’ do a lamm!’ ” “Did she say it that way, Billy?” “Sure she did. Jus’ dat way.” “Those words—like a real moll?” “No, no. Oh, no. She says, ‘I will give ’em to youse though youse is a dog, ’n’ beat it!’ Them ain’t jus’ her words, but youse get me. She talks kinda funny.” “Blackmail?” “Guess ’at’s it, Misser Middelton. I > Ps hear ’em say ‘Cabron’ an’ “Cabron!”’ Silkeen snarled. “Cabron?”’ Middleton questioned with low insistence. “Cabron, sure. Y’see dey don’t make much noise wit? deir words. But dey sure had dat dago’s name in de air. An’ neit’er of ’em loves ’im.”’ “He ain’t Cabron?” Silkeen demanded ominously. “Aw : ne? “We'll get dat guy an’ empty him,” Silkeen with an eye to business. “Where are they, Billy?” “In de library. I can’t see much. Dey only got one glim goin’. Dey’re keepin’ quiet. I guess dey grabs dis chancet while Holder’s off to Boston.” “Are you sure it is Mrs. Holder?” “Sure I’m sure. Don’t dat bird say, ‘Mrs. Holder,’ like a dead-un pullin’ a joke in vaudeville? Yea-bo. He’s got some- t’ing on her. An’ she’s got somet’ing on him too. De = she pipes ‘Cabron,’ “Tam going up,” said Middleton, fasten- ing a mask of black silk over his face. “In the library? Up-stairs. If he comes down said COmmicloooks (C@