"Pleased to meetcha," sprayed Soup Face.It was a strained smile which twisted the rather too perfect mouth of The Oskaloosa Kid, an appellation which we must, perforce, accept since the youth did not deny it.
Columbus Blackie, The General, and Dirty Eddie were formally presented.As Dirty Eddie was, physi-cally, the cleanest member of the band the youth won-dered how he had come by his sobriquet--that is, he wondered until he heard Dirty Eddie speak, after which he was no longer in doubt.The Oskaloosa Kid, self-con-fessed 'tramp' and burglar, flushed at the lurid obscenity of Dirty Eddie's remarks.
"Sit down, bo," invited Soup Face."I guess you're a regular all right.Here, have a snifter?" and he pulled a flask from his side pocket, holding it toward The Os-kaloosa Kid.
"Thank you, but;--er--I'm on the wagon, you know,"declined the youth.
"Have a smoke?" suggested Columbus Blackie."Here's the makin's."The change in the attitude of the men toward him pleased The Oskaloosa Kid immensely.They were treat-ing him as one of them, and after the lonely walk through the dark and desolate farm lands human companionship of any kind was to him as the proverbial straw to the man who rocked the boat once too often.
Dopey Charlie and The General, alone of all the company, waxed not enthusiastic over the advent of The Oskaloosa Kid and his priceless loot.These two sat scowling and whispering in the back-ground."Dat's a wrong guy," muttered the former to the latter."He's a stool pigeon or one of dese amatoor mugs.""It's the pullin' of that punk graft that got my goat,"replied The General."I never seen a punk yet that didn't try to make you think he was a wise guy an' dis stiff don't belong enough even to pull a spiel that would fool a old ladies' sewin' circle.I don't see wot The Sky Pi-lot's cozyin' up to him fer."
"You don't?" scoffed Dopey Charlie."Didn't you lamp de oyster harness? To say nothin' of de mitful of rocks and kale.""That 'ud be all right, too," replied the other, "if we could put the guy to sleep; but The Sky Pilot won't never stand for croakin' nobody.He's too scared of his neck.We'll look like a bunch o' wise ones, won't we?
lettin' a stranger sit in now--after last night.Hell!" he suddenly exploded."Don't you know that you an' me stand to swing if any of de bunch gets gabby in front of dis phoney punk?"The two sat silent for a while, The General puffing on a short briar, Dopey Charlie inhaling deep draughts from a cigarette, and both glaring through narrowed lids at the boy warming himself beside the fire where the others were attempting to draw him out the while they strove desperately but unavailingly to keep their eyes from the two bulging sidepockets of their guest's coat.
Soup Face, who had been assiduously communing with a pint flask, leaned close to Columbus Blackie, plac-ing his whiskers within an inch or so of the other's nose as was his habit when addressing another, and whis-pered, relative to the pearl necklace: "Not a cent less 'n fifty thou, bo!""Fertheluvomike!" ejaculated Blackie, drawing back and wiping a palm quickly across his lips."Get a plum-ber first if you want to kiss me--you leak.""He thinks you need a shower bath," said Dirty Ed-die, laughing.
"The trouble with Soup Face," explained The Sky Pi-lot, "is that he's got a idea he's a human atomizer an'
that the rest of us has colds."
"Well, I don't want no atomizer loaded with rot-gut and garlic shot in my mug," growled Blackie."What Soup Face needs is to be learned ettyket, an' if he comes that on me again I'm goin' to push his mush through the back of his bean."An ugly light came into the blear eyes of Soup Face.
Once again he leaned close to Columbus Blackie.
"Not a cent less 'n fifty thou, you tinhorn!" he bellowed, belligerent and sprayful.
Blackie leaped to his feet, with an oath--a frightful, hideous oath--and as he rose he swung a heavy fist to Soup Face's purple nose.The latter rolled over back-ward; but was upon his feet again much quicker than one would have expected in so gross a bulk, and as he came to his feet a knife flashed in his hand.With a sound that was more bestial than human he ran toward Blackie;but there was another there who had anticipated his in-tentions.As the blow was struck The Sky Pilot had risen; and now he sprang forward, for all his age and bulk as nimble as a cat, and seized Soup Face by the wrist.A quick wrench brought a howl of pain to the would-be assassin, and the knife fell to the floor.
"You gotta cut that if you travel with this bunch,"said The Sky Pilot in a voice that was new to The Os-kaloosa Kid; and you, too, Blackie," he continued."The rough stuff don't go with me, see?" He hurled Soup Face to the floor and resumed his seat by the fire.
The youth was astonished at the physical strength of this old man, seemingly so softened by dissipation; but it showed him the source of The Sky Pilot's authority and its scope, for Columbus Blackie and Soup Face quitted their quarrel immediately.
Dirty Eddie rose, yawned and stretched."Me fer the hay," he announced, and lay down again with his feet toward the fire.Some of the others followed his example."You'll find some hay in the loft there," said The Sky Pilot to The Oskaloosa Kid."Bring it down an'
make your bed here by me, there's plenty room."A half hour later all were stretched out upon the hard dirt floor upon improvised beds of rotted hay; but not all slept.The Oskaloosa Kid, though tired, found him-self wider awake than he ever before had been.Appar-ently sleep could never again come to those heavy eyes.
