The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-16
Bv WELL FO II ID
Copyrighted by Sunday Magazines Incorporated

Sometimes I'd just shut my eyes and
listen for the sQuashy sound. and when
it didn't come I'd open 'em and figure
on what would happen If should reach
out and get Langdon's neck IN the
crook of my arm.
And 1t want my first fast ride In
town. either. But I'd never been behind
the lamps when g two-ton machine was
bein' sent at a fifty-mile clip up
street crowded with folks that had al
most as much right to be Twin as we
did.
1t was a game that suited Langdon
all right. though. He's squattin' be-
hind the wheel bare headed, with his
! ketchup tinted hair plastered back by
| the wind. them purple eyes shut TO
squirt. his underjaw stuck out. and a
| kind of half grin-if you could call IL
| that-flickerin' on and off his thick
| lips. / don't wonder men shook their
| fists at us and women turned white
and sick as we cleared 'em by the thick
ness of a sheet of paper. 1 expect We
left a string of cuss words three blocks
| long.
| don't know how far we went, or
where. II was all a nightmare to me,
just a string of gasps and visions OF
what would be in the papers next day
after the coroner's jury got busy. But
|
red on the tires, and pulls up in front
of the studio. l didn't jump out in
hurry, like l wanted TO. l needed a
minute to think. for it seemed to me
something was due some one.
Mice little plaything you've got
here" says l. And that was a great
ride But sittin' still so long has kind
of cramped my legs. Don't feel like
Iimberin' up bit with the mitts, do
your"
I'D just as soon." says Langdon.
I was tryir' not TO look the way I
felt: but when we'd sent Swiftly down
TO sit in the machine. and I'd got Lang
don peeled off and standin on the mat.
with the spring lock snapped between
him and the outside door. ii seemed too
good to be true. I'd picked out an old
set of gloves that had the hair worked
away from the knuckles some, for I
want plannin' on any push ball picnic
this time.
Just TO stir his fightin' blood. and
lpartly so / could be sure | had a good
grip on my own temper, l let him get
in a few facers on me. Then I opens
up with the side remarks I'd been
thinkin' over.
Say, tangy," says !, sidesteppin' one
lof his swings for my jaw. ''s'posin'
you'd hit some OF them people. Ell?
S'posin' that car Of yours had caught
one of them old Women-biff!-like
that?" and I lets go a jolt that fetches
him on the cheek bone.
ugh" says Langdon. real surprised.
But he shakes his head and comes back
at me.
Ever stop 10 think" says l. how
one of them kids would look after you'd
got him-so?" and I shoots the left into
that bull neck of his.
"S-s-sayT splutters Langdon. What
do you think you're doing, anyway
"Me?" says I. I'm just tryin' TO get
a few points on the bubble business. Is
it more fun to smash 'em in the ribs
bang-like that? Or TO slug EN- in
) the head-biff.-so? That's right. son.
come in for more. It's waitin'. THERE
. Jared your nut a bit. that one did.
, Ell? Yes. here's the mate to it, There's
T plenty more on tap. Oh, never mind the
nose claret. It'll wipe off Keep your
; guard up. Careful now! You're swing
| in wide. And, as 1 was sayin'-there,
you ran into that one-this bubble
/ scorchin' must be great sport. When
you don't-biffLge 'em-biff!-you can
} scare 'em to death. Ell? Wabbly on
l your feet. are you? That's the stuff!
| Keep 1t up. That eyes all right. Ones
all you need TO see with Gosh! NOW
, you've got a pair OF 'em!'
II it hadn't been for his comm in
so ugly and strong L never could nave
done it. I'd have weakened and let up
D on him long before he'd got half what
/ was OWN. But he was bound 10 have
it all, and there's no sayin' he want
e game about it, Al the last l tried to
| tell him he'd had enough; but as long
= as he could keep on his pins he kept
e hopin' to get in just one on me; so
S finally has to drop him with stiff
e one behind the ear.
e Course, If we'd had ring gloves on
S he'd looked like he'd been on the chop
i PIN block; but with the pillows you
s can't get hurt bad Inside Of ten min
S utes l has him all washed UP and up
s in a chair, lookin' not much worse than
before, except for the eye swellin's. And
: what do you guess is the first thing he
y does?
e Say, McCabe." says he. shown out
his paw. you're all right, you are"
e "So?" says I. "If thought you was
s any judge that might carry weight
4 II know" says he. Nobody likes
me"
S ''Oh. we'll" says 1. 81 amt rubbin'
d it in. I guess there's white spots in
e you. after all: even If you do keep EN-
2, covered"
I He pricks lrJ, his ears at that. and
a wants to know how and why. Almost
d before I knows il we've drifted into
heart TO heart talk that a half hour
/ before I would have said couldn't have
! happened. Langdon amt turned cher
1 ub but he's a whole lot milder. and he
s takes in what I've got to say as If it
d was a bulletin from headquarters.
o That's all So" says he. But I've
o got to do something. Do you know
Il what I'd like best?"
l ] couldn't guess.
I I'D like TO be in the navy and ham
die one OF those big thirteen-inch guns"
II says he.
e why not. them" says !.
e II don't know how to get In, says
a he. I'D go in minute if | did"
# You're as good as there now. them"
I says l. There's "A recruitin' office
e around on Sixth avenue. not five blocks
n from here and the sergeant's some
thin of friend Of mine. Is it go?''
: 1T is" says Langdon.
Il Hanged If he didn't mean II. too, and
before he can change his mind we've
: had the papers all made out.
lie In the mornin' I phones Pembroke,
is and he comes around TO lug me up
while he breaks the news TO NAV: for