The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1907-01-17
THE SECOND
DANDY CHATTER

BY Tom Gallon.

IL swept trough IL.
They happened, by this time. to be
quite clear of the town, and to have
come to a spot where the bank was
low and fat, and where it was easy to
run the boat ashore. This the captain
did, and together they leapt out
hauled the boat up. and afterward
hauled in the body.
AS it came in on the line, hand over
hand, the captain and the little man
bent forward together to look at it;
and started back, as one man, at the
sight Of the swollen, distorted fea-
lures. For 1t was the body of Dandy
Chatter!
Dandy Chatter, born to such good
! aud prosperous things, to be found like
this-muddy, soiled, broken, awful,
deadly two strangers far away from
the fair and pleasant places through
which he had wandered In his limo
cent boyhood!
The captain, raising his head from
the contemplation Of what he believed
TO be the features of his dear friend,
Philip Crowdy, was confronted by the
startled eyes of the little man with
the faded whiskers. For a long min
ute their stared at each other in
silence; the thoughts Of each we're
busy, for each had something to hide.
For his part, Captain Peter Quist,
whatever his personal grief may have
been, bore in remembrance certain
,yNrJc ipnnrnecnI ctrpn ol,y ,trnn him hu
the supposed Philip Crowdy; an in
junction laid upon him not to reveal
who he was or that he was living un-
der another name. The captain-good,
honest fellow that he was-had a very
sincere regard for his friend; and be-
lieving that he had, in a moment OF in
discretion, got mixed up with some
queer people. was glad to feel that he
could bury the knowledge of 1t In his
own breast, as surely as the dead mar
would be buried in his grave. Sorrow.
ing for him as he did, and bitterly
yengeful as he felt in his heart at the
mere suspicion hat there had been
foul play, he yet had the p~hilosophic
feeling that II did not matter now, as
the mar was dead, and the gentle
thought that it would be a vile thing
to defame n no longer able to defend
himself.
The little man-who was, of course,
Three Watermen"-had equally strong
reasons for preserving silence. With
that scene in the upper of the lit
tie public house still clearly before his
mental vision, he saw, in this tragedy,
the vengeance Of some member or
members Of the gang-a vengeance
prompted for fear that Dandy Chatter
had betrayed them. Being himself re
markably closely connected with the
gang, he saw his own head in peril II
any stir was raised about this bust.
ness. Therefore 1t will be seen that
the two men had equally strong rea-
IONS for saying nothing about the iden-
tity Of the man who lay dead between
them.
The captain, however, being in his
sober moments a cautious man, looked
attentively at the other, and said, slow
ly: bad business-this ERE. Do you
'appen to know the CENT?"
"No-never saw him in my life. How
the deuce should IL" stammered
Cripps, with his teeth chattering.
Nor me-" said the captain. After
a long pause he asked: "Wot are we
a-goin' to do with inn"
The question was answered for
them in an abrupt and startling man
ner; for another face-that of a very
dirty, ~keen-eyed. ragged-headed u-ch:a,
whose bare feet had brought him
silently over the muddy bank-was oh.
truded between them, and stared
down into the face of the dead man.
Before either OF them had time to say
a word the urchin leapt to his feet
again with a cry, and scudded away in
the direction of the nearest houses.
That's done It," aurmured the cap
tain, In a resigned voice; well ave
a policeman ere In no time" Then, a
sudden thought striking him, he looked
at the little man. and asked, slowly:
"wot's your opinion of 'ookin' 1t, mess
mater"
Dr. Crlpps appearing To he too daZed
fully to comprehend the situation, the
captain took him by the shoulders.
gave him a shake or two, and stated
the case.
1--WE can't do no good by stoppin'
ERE" he said. I'VE shall only be
'auled up at the inquest, an asked
awkward questions. Nobody amt seen
US, 'cept that young lamb. an I doubt
IL ELL know us again. Therefore, wot
I ses is, into the boat with yer, an let's
cut our lucky!"
Grips appearing to grasp this point,
after some difficulty. they left the dead
man on the shore, and pushed off the
| boat and made for Woolwich. Going
| without further mishap up the stream.
they landed at the causeway from
which they had so uncerimoniously
started, apparently greatly to the sur
prise and satisfaction OF the man to
whom the boat belonged.
Got back. yer see" said the captain
c~arelessly. az he stepped on to the
causeway and gave q hand to the little
man.
aoc 7 s>>s v>nyinN ~ -s 1850