Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

416 minute. Why, if I sprung that stuff on an American stage I’d be mobbed first and pinched after. No, sirree; this ain’t what I figured on, and I call the deal off. You take her away, mister. I can’t do anything with this act.” It was Smith’s turn to sit down heavily. “ Gawds!” he murmured. “ This ’ere is a descent from the sublimey to the gor- blimey!” Poonoosawmi with keen business instinct chimed in: “Sar, you don’t wanting for pay five hundred rupees?” “Five hundred rupees!” The manager almost shrieked. ‘Say, I couldn’t stage that for fifteen a week! No, sirree, the deal is off, I tell you. Why, I just hired a troupe of performing goats that’s a better drawing-card. No, sir. You take her right away before her owners arrive and com- mence to carve up the landscape.” So cold-bloodedly irresponsible a repudia- tion was quite a shock. But then that is the way of vaudeville managers. Smith was never a man to haggle. He rose majestically and-strode from the room. Poonoosawmi followed with the wondering woman. The shock, however, after all the frightful risks he had taken, was sufficient to call for a bracer. Smith was never a man who hesitated over bracers. He took one—in proportion commensurate to the shock. The measure of the bracer showed how powerful the shock had really been. Then Smith sat back in his long-armed cane chair to consider the problem. After staring into the void for some minutes, he propounded-the question to his servant. ** Poonoosawmi, what’re you goin’ to do with the girl now you’ve got her?”’ Poonoosawmi was quite unmoved by this sudden responsibility thrust upon him. “T don’t knowing, marshter. I think maybe putting in ficca gharry and telling drive like hell for temple.” ‘“Poonoosawmi, you’re a fool,” said his master, nodding wisely and pointing the accusing finger. ‘‘ She won’t go; she was too bally pleased to get out.” “Then I am at losses,” said the servant. “And speeding is needful, for this priest fellows soon coming and making bobbery.”’ ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. “All right,” quoth Smith with awesome seriousness. ‘‘ You tell ’em to go to ’ell— an’ you go, too.”” Came a long pause with closed eyes, then: ‘ An’ take ’er with you.” . The last was a dreamy murmur, and in the next instant Smith slept with the untroubled peacefulness of’a child. ‘IV. He woke with his usual wide-eyed alert- ness, Two hours had passed, but there had been no cataclysm of battle and murder and sudden death. The boy stood exactly where he had been. The only difference was that the girl had gone, and a COAT EBs gunny sack lay on the table. Smith’s eyes always took in everything in a flash—habit born of necessity. ‘“ What’s that there?” he demanded. Poonoosawmi grinned ’all over. ‘This, marshter, is rupees.” ‘What! ’As the geezer changed ’is blink- in’ mind?” ‘“ No, marshter, I taking woman like you tele Smith’s vague recollection of his last or- ders was sufficient cause for mystification. ‘“Wherer To—to ’ell?” ‘““Oah, no, marshter, how can? I take to one Armenian fellow in bazaar; one verree low fellow, marshter; he agent for matrimonial of Nawab of Dacca—that one Mohammedan swine, two-three dozen he got. Five hundred rupees price I sell, and agent is paying with leaps; temple trained female of muscular contortions is verree valuable, marshter.” * For the first time in his life Smith was overcome with astonishment. He sat back, eyes closing and opening in spasmodic jerks. ** Strike—me—pink!”’ he muttered. ‘An’ what ’d she say?” Poonoosawmi’s grin went all the way round to the back of his head. “She plentee ticklmg, marshter. She give me one ring for bakshish. Look see!” And he lifted a dusty, horny foot and displayed a half-carat ruby shining from the grime of his middle toe. ‘“Gorblimey!”? murmured Smith, and consciousness drifted softly from him, and he slept the sleep of the just. comnniclooolkks.conn