Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-02-08
CHAPTER XVI.
sam hobas Yiaias show

The Crown and scepter, despite its
U~Tetentious sign, proved 10 be a very
! small affair, indeed, III the way Of pub-
lie houses-a mere beer-shop, III fact.
But, as ! was not visiting IT for puT-
poses Of r"efreshmenr, that mattered
nothing; indeed, ii augured well as in
dicatinC a healthy preference. on the
part Of my emissary, for beer ove
rum. He had established himself per
haps, IL honor Of my expected advent,
in q little den labelled Private Bar"
and there ! found him in full enjoy
ment Of q pipe and a pint of midland
bitter. Four-ale, be fl understood, Is
mira dig, even IL beeT-house private
ba-F.
Thank 'eaveu, you've come. sirt'
was his greeting. They're OFF to-moT-
row. Wen just be in nice time for q
AOok-in, II We starts now"
This was not q very clear introduC-
ton. but the Grown and Sceptre wa
scarcely n suitable spot for expIana-
lions, and SO ! / ade him finish his beer
and accompany me outside,
Have we far to gor" l inquired.
Nigh upon two miles. sir" was the
reply, Away up the Hampstead
Road, beyond the Canal But we've
time enough 10 walk it-without you'd
rather driveT' he added. slggestivefy.
"No. I'd rather walk" ] reioined. -
mart OF the WAY. AZ all events. I can
hear what y0u have To say better.
Now. tell your story in your own
fashion. but cat it as short as you
can
Right . are. sir be assanted. more
specially as there amt q great deal to
tell arter all. Well. v Sc. I kept OIL
the prowl around Cler6emwell. with a
hit Of Kings Cross and the Euson
Road thrown in. but nary sight could
I get Of my man until I spotted hiGl
on Christmas eve. Dear Cover Street
Station. II was nearly dark. with n
bit Of fog besides. and i couldn't feel
quite lure Of him unit. I overlook him
III the Hampstead Road. Even then,
though ] kn0wed ] wasn't mistaken iu.
the ioE-sided figure and shutting WALL
OF the man, ] was well-nigh ch0ked
when I seed his face. You know. sir.
as well as ] do. that wotever might be-.
said about Tom Webb's hO0zin' no
0ne could ever mistake him for an idi-
OF. Well, the fGce of the nan I'D baeh
Eollefin' was Just that Of q mad 'un.
Not a glimmer Of sense nor under
sstandin' In the fishy eyes. and q set
grin, that had no larf in IL, on the hair.
0pen drtbhling mouth. II was Tom
Webb, right enough, but more like a
blcomin' caricatoor, such as ! sells III
The 'alfpenny comics, than the genuine
article.
Hello. mate says ]. slappiD' him
Oh the shoulder, friendly like, what
cheer%
Tom looked at me. 8nd, for half n
minute ] thought he knew NE. But he
didn't. He only grinned and mum
bled sonlnthin' about the fog gettin'
worse. Then. seeing as how he disap-
peared the night of the great fog last
month, this seemed q good line TO fol
Ter.
Yes. fits coming on a bit thicker.
mate I tells him, but 'twon't be any
thing like wot we had five weeks Ego.
A reC'lar bad 'un that war
The grin died away, and with q
queer, iibberin moan, he skunk off as
East as he could. OF course, ] follered
him.
lust as we got past the canal
bridge, Inc stopped short and rounded
Oh me, who are youE' he asked, jerk
in out the words like. Why are You
a-doggfnG my steps,"
Well, I'm your old pal. Sam
Nobbs,' says I, quietly. And I'm a.
dOggiug your footsteps, as Won calls 1t,
to find out where you're goin' to, Tom
Webb
'"The names 'ad Just the same effect
Oh him IS when ] fust spoke To i'm.
He seemed to know 'em for an instant.
and then 10 forget 'em again.
You can If you like. Of course
says he. and your friends, toO. There's
no haif-price. though, EXCEPT nine on
Saturday nights
".All right. mate SAYS ]. no bloom
in 'alf-prlce for me. Front seat and
no fav0r's my motto OF course
hadn't the least idea what he was iriv-
in At. 'Cept that 1t seemed 10 he about
q show Of some sort he was goin' 10.
But when you've one Of the cranky
sort 10 deal with, -'tain't 10 manner Of
use r-yin' TO make 'im speak out plain.
You've just got to 'umour i'm and
wait.
We'll. sir, Tom seemed satisfied with
my reply. and we walked on together
to q piece Of huildin'-ground that
wasn't vet sold, and was let now and
then 10 caravans and small circus
folk. There was q tent rugged ND. and
] s0on guessed this was the show Tom
and me was TO p%atroniZe; hut ] was n
hit took back when ] heard thar Tom
belonged 10 the show himself. 1T took
some time to get at the bottom of all
that he told me-: but in the end, I
made ont that lac was employed as
money.taAer. and 10 look after the
'aof and books generally. 1t seemed d
bit staggerin', juSt al first. TO find n
poor, barmy cove like Tom with n Job
like this; lhut when Won come 10 think
Of 1t, IL figures out al right. Tom is
a frst-rate scholar, and n dab M fir.
ures, fit, mebbe, 10 keep the books az n
bank. He's as honest as o ~sheep-dng
as anyone tell. Also q hit barmy.
Well, amt q barmv scholar better nor