Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-02-06
CHAPTER XIX.

CHAPTER XIX.
FISTS AND FINGER-NAILS AND HOB
NAIL BOOTS.
lubbock was quite right in observ-
Ing that Number Two had had a bad
attack" The poor mans face was
patched like an old coat, he wore a
green shade over one eye, and was sit
ting up painfully in bed and as stiffiy
as a sawdust doll
"How are you, Number Severn" he
said with feeble smile. Excuse my
not getting up to receive you. 1 have
to move an arm or leg all of a piece
like pump-handle, and even then I
vince and sometimes squeal aloud
with pain. How do 1 look, do you
think?"
Like stuffed Guy Fawkes on a
barrow" would have been my answer
had felt called upon to adhere to the
truth. AS it was, l answered cheerful
ly that he was looking bit chippy.
but that a day or two would no doubt
set him on his legs"
''Set me on crutches you mean, don't
your" he groaned. "Ohi what maui
Ing I've had! The voice of the peo-
pie may be the voice of God, but how
about the peoples fists and finger
nails and hob-nail boots? How did
you get on?"
Il should have got or well enough. {"
replied, ruefully. IF only could have
got or But couldn't TIA people
saw me switch tho light efg. and tive
or three of them strolled up to inter-
view me after"
"Ah!" he said, trying to screw him.
self round the better to see me. and
grinning hideously. but whether from
pain or from qualification at finding a
fellow-sufferer L could not say. "Ah,
so you, too, have been interviewed by
the people, have you? And how did
you fare at their hands?"
1T wasn't their hands 1 objected to
so much as their feet" said. Tear
ing ones clothes off ones back and
bashing at ones head with half-briclls
and sticks may have been only their
playfulnesS. But when it came to
knocking a poor devil down and dane
ing on his stomach, not to speak OF
kicking him in the ribs, why, then 1
began to feel that there was such a
thing as having too much of the peo-
pie"
II believe you," he groaned. There
Is sucn thing, and I've had it-Lord
knows. However, there's one consola-
ton. We did the devils out OF their
$4,000, though / wouldn't so through
such an experience again for G5OO,00O
Your shares in that writing-desk on
the table there. You'll find bunch
OF keys in the top pocket OF those
trousers hanging at the feet of the bed.
The little keys the one. Open the desk
and take out the parcel with a big
! seven upon it."
l obeyed, and found, little to my
surprise, but greatly to my satisfac.
/ ton, that he had not misied me-
/ There. sure enough, was a parcel
marked Seven" containing no less a
sum than $1,000 in gold and small
bank notes.
! After l had expressed what he ap-
peared to consider unnecessary thanks
asked him whether cur fellow con-
! spirators were upstairs"
NO., he said fervently, they're
gone. thank goodness. They were
I restless to be off as soon as they had
/ pocketed the money; and as the hue
| and cry about the murder in the shed
mas blown over, l let them go-one at
time, OF course. But talking of the
money, l must warn you, as warned
them. not to let any one notice YOURS
/ flush Of cash, either by paying it into
, bank or by blueing it too prominent
iy. That sort of thing always arouses
suspicion, and has led to the discovery
! or many crime"
Have they gone for good, then?"
asked.
More likely for bad" he laughed.
Crime, like poverty, brings one into
strange company. How you, and. for
the matter of that, how came to row
In such galley I can't think. don't
know anything about you personally,
Number Seven, for Number One. who
put you up for election to the council
didn't take me into his confidence on
the subject: but l fancy, as I've said
to you before, that you were meant for
a gentleman"
Even had there been no note of in
terrogation-as of one inviting conf
dence--in his voice, / should have
taken the last part of his sentence less
as an involuntary compliment than as
an Intentional draw to lead me to
talk about myself. Piqued apparently
by my non-committal reply of You're