The times., 1899-02-12
THE NIGHT HAWKS WOES.
IKE Cnbby Details His sorrows to
the Copper.
From the Chicago Chrouielc.)


From the Chicago Chroui,lc.)
Say, l guess this is a poor one, hey"
said the night hawk, as he raised his thick
ly g!oved hand and raked lot OF ice OF
his mustache.. This is one of the boys
from Medicine Hat an if it Goa't loosen
up by tomorrow il will be me for my
fireside all the evenin and the old trotter
eaiin' his head of in the barn. guy
down the street here tells me it's 10 be-
low" he went on, AN guess that's pretty
near on he square, because this amt no
weather to be handin' out the hot air.
He clapped his sides with his arms,
stamped mis- feet and shrank still further
into the shadow of the doorway as he
spoke, for the wind which came whistliIg
around the corner had teeth which bit
keenly. The copper on the beat was hardly
recognizable under n multitudnous wrap
ping of muffers and he had knit cap
pulled down over his ears.
"'Tis a perishin' cowld night he NUT
tered, through three thicknesses of muller,
an if was me own boss like you are I'd
be in bed three hours ago, so l would
"Oh. it's easy enough for you 10 stand
around here an slip me a bunch of advice
about stayin home these cold nights.
said the cabby. when you're dead sure
you'll have your little old eighty three
thirty-three comm TO you the day after
tomorrow. / spose you think / can camp
right in that fiat OF mine an have some
sucker comm round an handin' me the
coin so / won't go shy on pork chops, hey?
l guess l don't want TO get out an hustle
after a short coin here an there 10 keep
one of them constables from comm up an
givin me an the regular folks the fresh
air do ]? I'm about eight bones 10 the
bad now with that landlord of mine, an
any time | amt there with the goods after
this it's me an the oil stove for the pave.
No nix. amt got one of them incomes
comm 10 me an / amt got no graft like
E job on the police force to keep me out of
Dunning."
The cabman appeared TO be trife bit
ter and the copper on the beat FASTENED
TO mollify him. The copper needed drink
10 help couuteract the effect of the arctic
breeZes and it was so near the end OF the
month that he knew diplomacy would be
required to get it.
.'Thrue for you" said the policeman,
you're a hazard workin' man an It's
small enough money you get for yourself
an your rig an the keep of your horse.
An it's shame you have 10 be out in such
bitther cowld weather, it is so"
He clapped his hands briskly TO stir the
sluggish circulation and pulled the knit
cap still further back on his neck while
the night hawk stepped TO the curb and
drew the tattered blanket back on the
launches OF Paul Griggs and gave the old
horse an affectionate pat before he return
ed to the doorway to watch for belated and
frost-bitten revelers.
Say, talk about it's bein' cold, said the
cabman, this bunch OF weather certainly
put that Joint of mine on the bum. We're
livin' up on the second floor over a Swede
family that remins me of them po.ar bears
up at the park. They're dead stuck on this
cold wave game an l guess they open all
the windows at night SO none of the breeze
will get past EN- while they're asleep.
Well. blows the pad today about noon an
on the square ] thought I'd been sleepin'
out In the barn with Paul Griggs. The lire
went ouI EEHe limo in the mornin an
there was frost on the windows more'n a
foot thick. let the regular folks stick 10
her feathers an ! sneak out in the kitchen
10 start the fire. Cold? On the dead, IT
was colder In that kitchen than any of
them Klondike suckers ever heard about.
An as soon as ! get out I'm hep that the
waters froZe What do you think of that
Old Mr. Swenska downstairs don't turn 1t
of when he ducks from his pad an it's
froze up tighter than one of them rag time
saloons on the north side"
Look at that now said Officer Casey.
combing the icicles OFF his mustache and
taking a long look down the street for the
patrol sergeant.
Well. there's nothin' to it but me for
the pipes 10 get em soin' again" went on
the cabman," so ] gets n bundle Of news
papers an one thing another an goes
/ down into the cellar where the pipes come
up in a box When they built that joint
| the sucker that done the job leaves a hole
! in each end of that cellar for the breeze
I 10 chase through an it was workin' over
time today. Say, there was a wind comm
/ in through that hole an goin' out at the
! other end OF the buildin' that was eatin
holes IN the joists under the floor
| Wouldn't that frost you?"
Faith, ] guess it would assented the
copper on the beat.
Il amt there with my big ben all this
time" continued the cabby, because
thought I'd be up in n minute an the coat
would be in the way. but I'm feelm like
a cake OF ice before l get started. ! got Il
them pipes all right an there was frost
inches long standin' out on EN-. wrap
ped a lot of newspapers round EN- an ii
| a match an started 'em off. Well, Jus
| as soon as they get to goin' good, blng
the pipe bursts open an turns loose
bunch of water that would drown war
shin. Most of II lands on me an before
could get out Of the cellar my clothes wer
froze stiff. / ducks up stairs TO get in ou
of the cold an by that time the wife is u
I an she gives me the merry laugh whll
I'm tryin' to climb out OF them frozei
pauts an get back into bed. But Just Whei
I'm under the covers an my teeth chatter
in like one of them telegraph tickers owe
in the saloon there's a horrible racket on
in front of the house an the regular folk
drills out to take d lamp at it. When sh
comes back about eight iiremen com
climbin' in after her with a lead of hose an
she wells the house Is on Ere
WOW. wow" calculated the copper
with distended eyes.
..Nothin else" said the night hawi
Just as soon as ! blow that cellar tha
breeze picks up them burnin newspaper
an carries 'em over against the wall al
! away she goes There was a rough hous
, right there when the fire boys was IN nj
kitchen, guess, an they turned loos
their hose an made a skatin rink out {
the place in about eight seconds. Som
of 'em got in 10 the cellar an put Ii
fire out before it got very bad an ID
Swede family moved ont into the hac
ward an stuck there all day ] gues
they're out there because they don't wal
TO take a chance on havin' hot time
the old town tonight"
An so you got the worst of it, ddn
you"
The worst OF it?" repeated the nigh
hawk, say, anytime / get anything els
III put you wise. ] think its gettin' cold'
every minute too. think I'm there Wit
the silver for Just two bowls an If yor''
got the courage we'll"
Before he had finished the copper ON Il
beat had taken one more look up an
down the street for the sergeant and sc,
In The coast clear shaped his cour,
for the place where the lights were blaziI