Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-23

the table with a curiously impressive
II see. You still pretend, then, to the
| possession of magic powers?"
"Pretendp Markell laughed. He
stretched out his hands in front Of him
with what seemed to be his favorite gesture,
and laughed-in the face of the authorities.
Suppose you give rs an example Of
| your powers!
| The suggestion came from the doctor. The
| Major exploded.
"Don't talk stuff and nonsensel Give the
man three days bread and water. That is
| what he wants"
''You do not believe in magic, then?"
Markell turned to the Major with his laugh
ing eyes.
"What's it matter to you what believe?
You may take my word for it that 1 don't
believe in impudent mountebanks like
you."
The only reply Markell gave was to raise
| his hand-if that might be called reply
| in the way we sometimes DO when we call
for silence. and there was silence in the
room. All eyes were fixed upon the pris-
oner. He looked each man in turn steadily
| in the face. Then, still serenely smiling, he
| gently murmured, "If you please
There still was silence, but only for
| moment. 1t was broken by Warder
| Slater. That usually decorous officer tilted
| his cap to the back Of his head, and thrust
his hands into his breeches professionally
the regulation attitude in the presence of
| superiors.
'I should blooming well like to know
! what this means! Ere have been in this
| ERE jail II years, and I've never been &C
cused before of letting men out OF their
night cells, let alone their beds and bed
ding, and I don't like it, so I tell you
straight"
| The chief warder turned with automatic
suddenness toward the Unexpectedly and
unusually plain-spoken officer.
SLATER, you're fool?'
| "I'm not the only one in the place!
| There's more fools here besides me, and
some of them bigger ones as we'll.
While these compliments were being ex-
changed the higher officials sat mutely
| looking on. When the chief warder seemed
| at loss for an answer, the chaplain
volunteered remark. He addressed him
self to Warder Slater.
"It's my opinion that the governors q
bigger fool than you are, and that the in
| spector's still bigger fool than he is"
sand it's my belief, Mr.. Hewett," OBJ
served the doctor, 'that you're the biggest
fool of ALL"
sit would serve him right" remarked the
governor quietly. ''if somebody were to
knock him down."
"Knock him down! I should think it
woodland kick him toop'
As he said this the Major glared at the
chaplain with threatening eyes.
There was silence again, broken by
| Warder Slater taking off his cap and then
his tunic, which he folded up carefully and
| placed upon the floor, and then turning his
| shirt-sleeves up above his elbows, revealing
as he did so pair of really gigantic arms.
"If any man says let them out of their
cells, Pm ready to fight that man, either for
gallon of beer or nothing. 1 don't care if
it's the inspector, or who it isl
II suspect" declared the chaplain, "that
the inspectors too great a coward to take
you on, but if he does I'm. willing TO back
Slater for half-a-crown. am even prepared
to second him.
Pntting his hands under his coat-tails the
chaplain looked up at the ceiling with a
resolute air.
'It you do fight Slater, Hardinge, 1
should certainly commence by giving the
chaplain a punch in the eye."
So saying, the Governor leaned back in
his chair, and began drumming on the
table with the tips of his fingers. The
doctor rose from his seat He gave the in
spector hearty slap upon the back.
"Give him beans!" he cried. "You ought
to be able to knock an overfed animal like
Slater into the middle of next week before
he's counted fve."
1--WE no quarrel with Slater" the in
spector growled, "and I've no intention of
fighting him; but as the chaplain seems to
be SO anxious for a row, I'll fight him with
the greatest pleasure"
"If there's goin' to be any fighting"
interposed the chief warder, "don't you
and ahaPnah pah bf'ssat7 81 %ster7
Il don't know about the sponges," said
the Governor; Il don't fancy you Will find
any just at hand. But you might get pail
of water. think"
The chief warder left the room.
I'm not fighting man." the chaplain
announced; "and in any case. / should de.
cline to soil my hands BY touching such an
iilomannered ruffian as Major Hardinge."
dinge, you're not going to stand that?''
The Major sprang from his seat, tore off
his coat, and flung it on the ground with
considerably less care than Warder Slater
had done. He strobe up to the chaplain.
beg my pardon, or take lickingp'
The Major clenched his fists. He assumed
an attitude which, if not exactly reminiscent
OF the pets OF the fancy, was at least in
tended to be pugilistic. The chaplain did
not finch.
"You dare to lay finger on me, you
bullying blackguard."
The Major did dare. He struck ont. if
not with considerable science, at any rate
with considerable execution. The chaplain
went down like a log. At that moment the
chief warder entered the room. He had a
pail OF water in his hand. For some reason,
which was not altogether plain, he threw its
contents upon the chaplain as he lay upon
the floor.
While these-considering the persons en-
gaged-somewhat irregular proceedings had
been taking place, Markell remained mo-
tionless, his hand upraised-still with that
smile upon his face. Now he lowered his
hand.
THANK you very much, he said.
There was silence again-a tolerably
prolonged silence. While it lasted a
change seemed to be passing over the
chief actors in the scene. They seemed to
be awaking, with more or less rapidity,
to the fact that certain incongruity char
acterized their actions and their language.
There stood Warder Slater, apparently sur
prised and overwhelmed at the discovery
that his hat and coat were of, and his shirt |
sleeves tucked up above his elbows. The |
chief warder, with the empty pail in his |
hand, presented really Iudicrous picture |
OF amazement He seemed quite unable to |
realize the fact that he had thrown the con- |
tents over the chaplain. The inspectors |
surprise appeared to be no less on finding |
that, in his pugiIistic ardor> he had torn of |
his coat, and knocked the chaplain down.
The doctor, supporting him in the rear,
seemed to be taken little aback The |
Governor, smoothing his hair with his
hand seemed tn be in hnnalass r,,ist Ia