The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-02-27
CHAPTER XVIII.
A "SCRIMMAGE'' IN WHICH I PLAY
THE PART OF FOOTBALL.

that there was not a moment to lose
if | wished to be on the spot to get
first snatch at the bag when II was
tossed through the window.
Walking quietly out, | worked M
way uno~btrusively to the gate which
closed the passage leading TO the yard
at the back of the hall. Fortunately
for me, the hubbub inside the building,
and the sudden putting out of the
lights. had served to distract the at
tention of the loungers inside the rail-
ings and Of the crowd outside, so |
was able to open the gate and to slip
through unobserved. Closing 1t ST.
lently after me, | hurried along the
passage. but before | had gone a dozen
PAGES | came upon some one walking
slowly in the same direction, whom,
when he turned on hearing my foot
steps, | found to my dismay to be the
old care-taker.
Where are you going, young manY
be inquired gruff1y.
Perhaps my momentary hesitation In
| search of a plausible excuse aroused
his suspicion, for when | said that
was only taking an airing, as the heat
of the hall had made me faint, he an
swered, none too genially-
Then you take a airin' somewhere
| else. These amt inirmary grounds,
and If you feel faint the best thing
you can do is to nip round to the Red
| TE@,,, nnl nat tuvn nan n " nTt h NJ
brandy"
ooh, | shall be all right In a min
ute, my friend, thank you | said,
thinking it best to humor him. y
don't care to go out into the street
for the present, it's too crowded; but
don't you bother about me, | shall be
| all right when I've had a stroll round
in the air for a few minutes" and
with that | essayed to slip past him
being impatient of this unlooked-for
hindrance.
well, you cant stroll round here"
he said, barring the way with his bulky
figure. I'VE can't have no strangers
along this passage. It's private prop
erty; so out you go and sharp"
Finding him thus obdurate. | did
what | ought to have done at first, and
| slipped a !coin-half a crown !
thought it. was-into his hand. His
fingers closed upon it in an instant.
81 don't want to be disagreeable
when a gentleman amt feeling quite
WELL" he began. IAN the same"
Then he stopped disguised. why, it
amt arr a crown. It's a penny-not
so much even as the price of a drink.
If you think"
Just then | heard the bursting of the
bomb inside the hall. There vas not
O. moment to lose if | was to secure the
bag, so, determining to take by force
what had been refused me as a favor,
| nudged my shoulder to the care
takers chest and charged" him in
the good old fashion of the football
field.
Would you?" he shouted. You
rascal! | knew you were after no
good" and catching at my coat col
lar as | was in the act of passing him,
he tried to swing me round, but, los
ing his balance, fell back heavily
on the gravel, dragging me, spraying
over his chest, on top of him. AS we
went down, a man--it was evidently
misunderstanding something in his
hand darted round the corner, and
jumping lightly over the PROSTATE pair
of us, passed through the gate, which
he banged behind him.
Let me go, you dotard!" ! shouted
to the care-taker. "Let me go before
| strike you. | must follow that man
at all costs"
The old fellow was a man Of spirit,
Notwithstanding his years, and held
me so stoutly-T could not bring my
self to strike him~-that some seconds
passed before / could shake off his
grip.
When at last | managed to wrench
myself free and leapeG up to follow
lubbock, it wa only to find that | had
left the ~frying-pan for the fire.
From the open door of the hall a
swaying throng was now surging like
devils vomited from the mouth of hell.
Some of them must have heard the
meaningless cry of stop him! stop,
thief" with which the old care-takeT
saluted my flying figure. All know
is that for the second time that even
ing I was reminded of my football
days, only on this occasion 1t seemed
/ -, $50 +hot T mn TIM fnnfhuH and the
center of the scrimmage, and that some
two dozen of devils-mad for blood,
and pounding and bashing at me with
hands and sticks, az well as with feet
were the players.
The old mans meaningless cry OF
stop, thief" had led them, no doubt
to suppose that | was the stealer of the
money, and that, If they were only
quick enough about it, they might Sc
cure the booty for themselves.
1t did not take long to undeceive
them, for in less than half a minute ]
hadn't as much as a rag to my back;
and ! was allowed to drag myself,
bleeding, breathless, naked, and
trembling in every limb, to a corner,
where | lay feeling as one might VINO
had been snatched from the raVenine
jaws of a pack Of hungry wolves.
1t was some days before was suffi-
GENTLY recovered to journey to Tar
borough to claim my share OF the
money and to hear how Number Two
had Jared. | had telegraphed to say |
was coming by the three O'Clock train,
and lubbock was there with the trap
to meet me.
well, Is the money safe, lubbock"
I said, as we drove off from the sta
ton.
Eyes, sir. / took care Of that. Your
share Is waiting for you all right