The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-03-30


all the others, Bassetts sharp beak,
and old Dams big frowzly nut and
long line o. bullet headed Dutch plant
ers all down the veranda, like horses
looking out o. their stalls. And there
under the big banyan tree, putting
and churning and emitting smoke, was
ridiculous little red motor car. FRS.
one we'd ever seen in the east. A
six-footer in white and topi bigger'n
the machine itself sat at the wheel
jerking on them -tale-handle things
and writing round.
When the sleep cleared out o. my eyes
l saw it was Sam Bird.
Bassett was always quick at sizing
things up.
Hes gone off his head" says he.
Heats been too much for him. Thought
he acted queer last night"
We all yelled together: What you up
to-"
She'll run all right" sings out Bird.
To prove it, she backed through a wire
fence into the banyan roots and gave up
with a snort, Sam took a monkey wrench
and a spanner out of his pocket pulled
off his coat, and disappeared under the
body there in the Jungle
We three ran out in our pajamas-nice
cool morning, all the birds just beginning
to chirp up in the canary trees, pink
mists arising
He was on his back under the machine,
wrenching and pounding. and wouldn't
say a word. You wouldn't believe the
smell o. that cheap petrol stuff if you'd
undergone it. She was a little tin French
machine. crazy and falling apart with
old age, but I could see she'd been scrub
bed and polished like binnacles. Even
kicking Sans legs didn't make him come
out till he finished. When he did his
undershirt was all triekled over with
black GOO and he was red as apoplexy,
but grinning.
She'll rum he said, as if we'd been
waiting weeks to hear that fact.
Look here, you Native Son O. the Col
den West" squeaks Bassett very sharp,
explain yourself. what thing are you
donig?"
Looks like an otta mobile. don't it?'
says Bird in speculative kind O. way
ut is"
He began to tinkering some more, and
started to whistle real catchy little
piece. Bassett hauled at his shoulders.
and shook his fist under Sans nose
fighting mad.
What thing?" he was yelling. What
thing?" We were all talking at once, so
loud that the manager appeared at his
bedroom window in a towel.
This California boy, he pitched Bassett
half way into the banyan bosque.
'Ihere, he SAID. Alter JlnkeflnR u
while more, he explained to me and Dam
IF you must know, I'm just taking ride
round fore breakfast. Dawn, beautiful
dawn Fresh and mlld, and the little
dckey birds a-wabblng their fresh little
lays and laying their fresh little eggs;
and, my the sunrise through those cocoa
palms, You wouldn't believe how a ma
ture lover enjoys spin in his car this
way"
"sam. old man." says. trying to speak
kind, whose is this obscene bundle o
scrap-iron?"
He became sensible all at once.
Now look here. boys said he, en-
tirely busness-like. IF any one asks
you, remember it's mine. Matter o. fact
I'm hiring it by the day. But if any
asks, don't forget it's mine. I'm a
wealthy and eccentric young mar
That's the line. Wealthy; eccentric"
WHAT squeals Bassett. bursting
out through the vines. Hiring? by the
day? Boys" he turns to us, fairly
crying, "its our money. our funds, that
his-this-vamplre eats up and throws
away, SOS he can come wake us UP
fore daylight out of our warm beds
l mean cool beds" He took on fierce
till we began to see 1t in his light. and
then we all three went for Sam so
noisy that he had to blow his horn
continuous to keep from hearing us.
The manager sent Java boy out to
say that the gentlemen must make
some quiet at once, or they might dis
turb his majesty the King.
II don't know about the head that
wears a crown" allows Bassett, but
1t must have laid some uneasy for tho
last half hour. You come down to my
room and explain, Sam Bird!' he says
as we moved away. There's lot to
be said yet"
Bird was still calm and unnatural.
He took off the undershirt with the
coal-tar front, threw it under the BAN
yam, and buttoned up his Jacket. Then
he put on English and dukes drawI.
mo feah." says he, talking LOUD
enough for a gallery. II must be off
for a spin in my cav. If you were
properly attiawed and did not behave
like such a perfect rotter, 1 might have
awsked you, dear boy" And he
climbed back into the car.
Its the heats done It," says Bas-
sett, while we rested in our long
chairs. Notice him throw me around?
He couldn't "a done that with his nor
NAL strength. Go on yourself, Dan! L
say he is! know better. He's by the
nut-hea and fever and worry"
All of sudden we thought so, too.
tralian steer, and the car started ou-
from the banyan, and came humping
down our way laying a trail o. this
axle grease stuff all along the foot
path. Honk- onk -onk, goes the horn.
and the rattle was like a steam roller
full of iron rods, and SIGH. Sam sat
up dignified, steering round and round
the compound full speed, Slowing the
corners, and doing a Judgment Day on
the trumpet. You know the noise n
fat woman's poodle makes when he
breathes? That car was like an elephan.
piece O. silence left in Weltevreden. 1t
was a pretty race, and when Sam, with
out slowing engines, lodged the per
orang-utan< (whod come out into the
road from behind the bath house sud-
and SO did the Javanese boys, and we
cheered. 1t was such neat work. Heads
began to show in the windows of the
royal suite.
BY this time the uproar was something
awful, till Sam ported his helm and went
boiling down the avenue again, out the
gate, and we could hear distant honks
afloating off past the Harmonic club.
BY breakfast time he wasn't back At
table we had nothing to say except our
friend was wealthy and eccentric young
man. with a passion for taking out his
motor car in the early morning. The
manager had quieted down; apparently
no complaints issued by royalty.
When he came back, about 9 o'clock.
he left the car under the tree and came
and had coffee in our veranda, acting
like himself again almost.
No. Doe ttYf,o1 10