The San Francisco call., 1905-01-01

tling city of Livingston comprised
much swamp, three box cars standing
on a siding and some tiny log huts In
the bushes. In the few places clear of
water a fellow could get all the mud
he wanted and then some. / was the
only passenger who played the train
to the limit, and when l alighted a
large man in red flannel shirt
seemed by instinct to know just what
to do with me.
See that eabin?' he said, pointing
to a, hut at tile edge of the clearing.
That's where you sleep. Now go to
the cars and get your supper. Eli need
you in the morning."
Two of the boxcars formed the dining
hall, fitted UP with rough board tables
and benches spiked to the floor. In the
third car, which was coupled to the
others, q dope-dazed Chinaman dream
ed he was the cook. Supper being over,
the Chinaman brought me tin platter
of cold salt pork and corn bread. ate
the whole business and would have
asked for more only l didn't know the
ceck Very well. After cleaning out
the banquet hall, / groped among
stumps and puddles to the cluster of
leg huts. Campflres burned in front Of
the doors, lighting up groups of mud
dy, shaggy men. who looked like pi-
rates, smoking and swearing in the
weird glare.
In the doorway of the hut assigned
to me, and which stood apart from the
others, sat man of giant skeleton
frame, with his face buried in his bony
hands. He appeared to be thinking.
His huge feet were sprawled out
toward a pile of blazing sticks. On
hearing me approach he peered up
through his fingers, still keeping his
features concealed.
''Who sent you here, bub?" he
growled.
1.-The big man in the red shirt" /
said, apologetically-
That's the boss. Did he say anything
about the Prize Beauty?'
HE did not" / replied, beginning to
feel scared. "Who might he be?''
"Me!'' said the skeleton. with a nor.
rible laugh. I'm free show IN these
parts. Lock-
Removing his hands. he exposed his
face to the freight. Under each eye
was a wide. crescent.shapeds scar. fully
two inches Tong. with the points turn.
ed upward. Another scar. clean cut
and regular. passed along below his
chin and extended from ear to ear.
In the middle this cash was at least
three inches wide, and. like the 9TH
ers, was of dull red in a setting of
sickly. white. My hutmate certainly
was Prize Beauty.
sThat Is what they call me here" "
he said. as if reading my thoughts
'and I'll tell you about it. The other
fellows know, and I'll give 1t to you
straight, only don't laugh. Sit there
OF that stump and listen. Now. then,
first off, have you ever been in lover"
Feeling it safer to tell the truth,
said that Mr.. Cupids dart had not yet
pierced my tender vitals.
Don't ever be in love, my boy" he
went on mournfully. There's nothing
in that game. / was in love once, and
all got out of it was a face like COM
cts shooting across the milky way. The
lady lived in Indiana, and at the time
we met I weighed $50 pounds. Looked
like prize Berkshire hog at the coun-
try fair. She said she couldn't marry a
fat man, So / went in for anti-fat.
owned a drug store and kept the stuff
in stock Well, the medicine pulled me
down as thin as am now and left me
a holy show. Two pouches of loose skin
hung beneath my eyes, like buckskin
purses, and the flap Of waste hide un-