The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-04-18
"Hopkins whar' is you, Hopkins p

"Hopkins Whar' is you, Hopkins p
Oh, Polly Hopkins -
Macy glanced toward his waterproof
steam-bath, and mentally concluded that,
if the under-sized individual therein packed
was not named ''Polly Hopkins" there
might bea Polly Hopkins outside, and
q Tommy Tompkins following with his
how-do-yOu-do repeat from more than
one barrel organ.
tsI'n try the barricade business against
battering rams" he decided. And, i,
as a second stanza of "Butler and I" broke
out on the landing below, Saul laid hand on
Lone Stars pine table, and whirled it
against his door panels, leaving Lone Stars
big trunk, with its traps" exposed, under
glare Of the gas-light-
II was a timely movements for defense
Tho next moment a shock, like that which
forced it open before, fell on the door, al
most telling Saul, whose weight was on it.
81 say, Lone Star is Little Peter in
your crib ?" demanded voice.
Not being interested, Macy declined to
answer; whereupon the voice muttered
''You dog-gone Lone Star; can see you
through the key-hole. Le' me in, or I'll
draw bead on you, old hoss, sure's you
live r. El
A click of steel emphasized this playful
menace, as the rough outside cooked his
pistol. At the same instant, his comrade,
stumbling up the stairs, uttered an oath, ,
and sung out-''Po4ly-yeF orneTy eussI
Whar is yer7"
Saul was "rnan of power" !" in nerve as
we'll as otherwise; but the immediate pros
pect of a hand-to-hand fight with two
armed rufhans, was calculated to try even
steel nerves. One minute lost wonld bring
both outsiders together. in an assault upon
the i&Scc.@-oz. door; but one minute Is Sufh-
eient TO think in if thought be rapid, and to
act in, If act keep paee with thought Macy
was prompt in mind and hand; and no
sooner did way TO help himself fash on
his perception than he hastened that way.
Quick as the flash ,ho seized, with one hand,
Lone Stars big trunk, stuffed with
"plunder," and dragged 1t against the door,
as an additional barrieade with the pine
table. Not quick enough however, was his
movement to prevent the advance of stall
Wark shoulder between door and lamb; and
that fulcrum being secured for Polly Hop
kinsy she brought 80 much leverage to bear,
from brace somewhere, that, presently,
her bearded face and shaggy head, and a
heavy thigh below, made ''hghtsome room"
for more body and boots. Macy saw the
useleasness of barring out;" so he immedi-
ately yielded; that il, yielded so far as to jerk
his barricade away suddenly and permit six
feet of intoxicated flesh and blood to plunge
forward into the room; losing its perpendi-
cular, and tripping aver one end of "Lone
Stars" trunk, to fall t. upon its length, at
the other end.
In second, Saul caught his cue of adj
vantage. The ruf6an sprawled all fours,
on the open trunk, which was at least four
feet long. The throat of Polly Hopkins lay
| In dangerous contact with one iron edge.
and q pair of booted shins described an
angle with the other edge. So the back of
Polly Hopkins offered broad seat; and Saul
Macy sat down upon it, to collect his
thoughts.
Packing an undersized topper intoa water
proof steam bath had been comparatively
easy job; crowding an oyergrown inebriate
into trunk already packed was was not so
easy: and, besides, the effect was immediat-
| ely disputed by Polly Hopkins in force
Such "How-de-do" TO her entry was
enough to rouse masculine blood in Polly's
whiskey; and Saul Macy found himself
obliged to act as well as think, on his seat
Hisfrstact was to press the muzzle of his
revolver against the right eye Of Polly when
her head wriggled up; with low caution
-sNBe quieti His next move was TO rise,
abruptly, from the backbone he had
almost cracked. IN order to give his place to
another body with legs; that other body be-
| ing the pine-table; whifh he dragged over
by one leg, and planted squarely upon two
trunks; that Of Polly Hopkins and that of
Lone Star, underneath Polly. Then he
| jammed both trunks hard against the closed
door; and finally he sat down ON the invert-
ed table, 10 think again.
All the time consumed by thought and
action, since the new visitor had become a
permanent guest. did not amount to more
| than minute; but is had been well spent;
and the result was, Saul Macy remained
'tmaster Of the situation"
| It was not comfortable situation at all;
but it could not be vacated without injury
| to somebody, As things stood, he had an
advantaGa which miaht be lost. should