The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-05-03

let me die. an l could hear the cows
bell janglin' as the boy chased her
away. Say, wasn't that awful?"
"Haw, haw, haw!" laughed the gas
man. Say, that's the funniest ever
stacked up agin. Say, I'd give thou
sand bills to seen you hangin' there,
and howlin' like hyena. Say, I'd like
to meet that boy and blow him Of
to somethin' just once"
The stereopticon man smiled, too.
His smile was menacing, but the gas
man didn't notice it. "G'wan," he said.
We'll sir, hung there an heard the
.cowbell CROWN fainter and fainter,
as the boy chased the COW further an
further away, an l wondered what
the bad place would be like, and IL
there was any chance Of Heaven. An
| tried to count up all the decent things
I'd ever done, and see if they'd balance
some of the crooked things. An won
dered how deep the water was, and
what the bottom was like, and if there
were leeches down there, cause knew
that Ieeches'll suck drown'ded mans
blood. An l thought about the stere-
opticon, and the show that was due
at half-past eight, and how the peo-
| pied be s'prised when l didn't show
| up, an l thought of about million
other things. An all the time l was
whoopin' and howlin' like the whistle
on sea tug.
But by that time was about givin'
I
was queer things foatin' in front of
epy lamps, an my fingers was numb,
an the cowbell was still clangin a long
way off.
It's good-by,' 1 thinks, an then
L hears voices an men runnin. 1
thinks if kin hold up minute long
er I'm saved, but my strength was
gone. l tried to hold on, but it wasn't
any use, my fingers let go, and l sank.
Down, down, down-for about a
foot. Then stopped. My chest was
above water, and l could feel the mud
runnin' into my boots"
AN you wasn't drown 'ded," said the
gas man, in tones of deep disappoint-
ment.
NO"
"An' the water was only about four
feet deep?"
II guess it was four feet and half"
AN you was hangin' there all the
time worryin' that smart boy, an
howlin' like Bowery barker-with
your toes bout touchin' bottom?"
YES"
AN two or three gazabos to stand
an laugh at ye, by the time you
crawled out?"
That's right" said the stereopticon
man, and his smile was becoming
deadly.
well, say" began the gas man,
you're the worst"
Hold on!"
The gas man bit his last word in
two and stood with eyes and mouth
wide open.
Pretty good story, hay?" demanded
the stereopticon man, with fire in his
eyes.
"On you-yes."
"The laughs on me, amt it?"
81 should say"
"An' lidn't have no sense, eh?"
"Not a part"
"An' the boy done JUS right to chase
COWS, stead o. helpin' me out?"
"Well, | s'pose the boy knew"
AN | got all at was comm tine,
didn't -"
"Thas Ri"
"An' you don't have no sympathy for
a gazabo like me, do YEP"
Not a bit. I"
"An' you've had good time thinkin'
what lobster was, hay?"
You bet"
"Well, now" howled the stereopticon
man, I'm goin' t lick the socks clear
off of you"
And then they went together. twas
n beautiful fight. Ten minutes later
the stereopticon man was pinning up
a long tear in his trousers, but his face
was calm and unmoved. The gas man
was nursing two blackening eyes, ca
ressing cut lip and trying to staunch
the blood which proceeded from a much
swollen nose.
"Jim," he said, "I'll take it back.
You amt no bluff"
That's right" said the stereopticon
man, IAN kin swim. Can't -"
Sure" said the gas mann. Y. Sun.