The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-05-05

and screamin N Begin him not 70
let me die, an 1 could hear tie cows
bell janglin' as the boy chased her
away. Say, wasn't that awful?"
"Haw. haw. haw." laughed tie gas
man. Say. that's the funniest l ever
stacked up agin. Say, I'd give a thou
sand bills to seen you hangin' there.
and howlin' like a hyena. Say. I'd like
to meet that boy and blow him off
to somethin' just once"
;Rhe stereopticon- man smiled, too.
His smile a menacing, but the gas
man didn't notice it. "G'wan." he said.
well, sir. l hung there an heard the
cowbell CROWN fainter and fainter,
as the boy chased the cow further n
further away. an 1 wondered what
the bad place would be like, and if
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 l knew
that leeches'll suck a drown'ded mans
blood. An / thought about the stere-
opticon. and the show that was due
at h%alf-past eight, and how the peo-
pied be s'prised when l didn't show
up. an L thought of about a million
other things. An all the time l was
whoopin' and howlin' like the whistle
on a sea tug.
But by that time l was about givin
out. | Ia settin' weak. an there
was queer things tioatin' in front OF
my lamps. an my fingers was numb.
an the cowbell was still clangin' a long
way off.
Its good-by.' l thinks. an then
[ hears voices an men runnin. L
thinks if | kin hold up a minute long
err I'm saved. but my strength was
gone. Itried to hold on, but it wasn't
any use. my fingers let go, and sank.
Down. down. down-for about a
foot. Then L stopped. My chest was
above water, and j could feel the mud
runnin' into my boots"
An you wasn't drown'ded." said the
gas man. in one of deep disappoint-
ment.
No"
An the water was only about foul
feet deep"
Il guess it was four feet and Il half"
AN you was hangin' there all the
time w%orryin' that smart boy. an
howiin' like a Bowery barker-with
your toes bout touchin' bottom"
Yes"
AN w or three gazabos to stand
an laugh at We. 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?a" demanded
the stereopticon man. with fire in his
eyes.
"On you-yes."
THE laughs on me. amt ito"
Il should say"
An didn't have no sense. Ell"
Not n part"
AN the boy done JUS right to chase
cows. stead o helpin' me out??"
We'll. / s'pose the boy knew"
An got all at was comm tine,
didn't L."
".Tha's Ri"
An you don't have no sympathy fol
4 gazabo like me, do ye??"
Not 4 bit. /"
AN you've had Il good time thinkin
what i lobster | was, hay"
You bet"
well. now" howled the stereopticon
man. I'm goin' I lick the socks clear
off of you"
And then they went together. 1t was
n beautiful fight. Ten minutes later
the stereopticon man was Pinning up
a long teal in his trousers. but his face
was calm and unmoved. The gas man
was nursing two b~.ackening eyes, ca
ressing a cut lip and trying to staunch
the blood which proceeded from a much
swollen nose.
Jim" he said. iii take it back.
You amt no bluff"
That's right" said the s~tereop:icon
man. AN | kin swim. Can'tI?"
Sure" said the gas MANN. y. Sun