Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-19

made in the British Isles! Els disgrace.
E won't fight. You cawn't make i'm fight"
''If yeh think we're of that breed" spoke up Nc
Gongal. mouthpiece of the five impeached pat
riots '"yeh come along down to the back room
of McKeown's place an any Of us will
give yen all the fight yeh can carry" His glance
included Craig Schmidt, and even Brown. Just
come on-all of yeh,' he pleaded savagely, for his
fellow countryman's exhibition had made him fam
ing for the honor of the and the harp.
Rats" said Brown ineeganty but wisely. 1--WE
all know your records. There's no hard feelings.
There's black bean in every sack and 1t seems
we've got it," Brown had service stripes his
arm, and his words had weight as had his hand.
+" e oughter be showed up to the Old Man."
said PIimner. lin 'aving the beat e as, and i'm
Ugh spirited as old grandmother"
"Therell be no talkin' to the captain nor the
sergeant" said Brown looking at Plimmer I'VE
amt kids, we're If Finerty's coward he'll
be shown up all right for there's always trouble
sooner or later down there" (The Hill is always
called down there.") But there'll be no squeaI-
in, and the man that does will catch the best belt
in he ever got in his life"
II ope some colored gentleman II knock is
bloomin head orr" said Plimmer with great sin
certify.
But Planners hope did not materialize. The
Hill was unusually quiet and orderly. Some said
1t was only taking Finerty's measure as 1t took
every patromans, and that the lull was the
deadly lul1 before the storm. But Finerty went
stolidly about his duties as If nothing had ever hap
pened or would happen. He met his fellow patrol
mems cold glances with indifference, and he never
appeared to notice Plimmer's soto voce remarks.
Plimmer of all the men was the only to show
an active and personal resentment against Ffnertys
cowardice. Brute strength was his god and to see
it misused as Finerty had misused it was unpar-
donable.
"Guess ow Finerty spends is days orr" he said
one evening some weeks after his first unsuccess-
full batting of the Irishman. you know ow he
Hocks by imself. Well. to-day when was on
beat who did 1 coming down the line but Fin
erty. And say e swas showing of them wheel
chairs before i'm like any boomn nussey maid.
Ho no. it was a sight. There chap in the
chair who looked as If traction engine had
all over i'm f was all twisted out of shape. e
was horrible sight.
II know" put in Craig. 81 live in his neigh
borhood. Finerty and him rooms together. They're
pals. They say Fnerty waits on him hand and
foot. There's something the matter with the lads
spine"
well Fnerty makes fine nuss,' laughed
Plimmer. when saw i'm ses: Lift your pet
ticoats Lizzie when you skip the gutter"
AN what did he say?" chorused the men, grin
ming
Plimmer suddenly looked vndictive.
"E told me to go to place where they don't
use thermometers" he said slowly. The COVE
yard e knew couldn't hit Am patrol But
I'll 1T I'm. e cawnt tell me to go there. Ho'
yuss when e's OFF duty I'll just make i'm come to
McKeowns place and I'll bingle the cad OFF I'M
I'll show i'm up for the coward e Is.
The men laughed disbelievingy. You can't
make man fght-at least not coward like Fin
erty But Plmmer grim smile on his lips, held
to the contrary and said SO. He would "bingle
Finertys head
But the proving of John Ffnerty not to be
left to Cockney-American patrolman nor the back
room of McKeowns saloon. Fate decreed many
actors and a large stage On the following night
very good imitation of undiluted hades broke out
on San Juan HILL No one could say how it started
No one ever can-or will But Finerty, on the
night shift saw man leaning against the lamp
post that stands on the corner of Sixty-second
Street and Amsterdam Avenue. That in itself Is
strange in that neighborhood, for the corner sa-
loon is the recognized prop. Drunk" thought
Finerty as the wobbed uncertainty But
the Hill holds it's drink and this man didn't He
commenced to cough slowly, thickly. The speckied
flare of the lamp threw fan of light into the gut
ter And Fnerty dark splotches that were
not shadows 1t o'clock The avenue was
deserted.
The man Strengthened up In jerks, wiped hand
vaguely across his lips then, as Finerty laid hold
of him, eased himself slowly through the ohical
arms to the pavement. He twitched there in the
circle of light. Finerty knew him for leader OF
the white trash" roust-abouts.
"S1l right" guped the man with a laugh that
strangled in it's birth. 81 guess I've got mine Been
Iayin' fr me. They carved me good and proper.
Sail right, though TIL boys II square dis you
bet"
''Who did this?" said Finerty quickly.
The man waved blood-smeared hand vaguely to
the west.
Down there of course That big coon-Wil-
Hams He was going fast
Finerty swung his nightstick against the pave
ment and the hollow raps of the locust went echo
ing down the avenue Then he ran across
the street to the nearest call box and sent in hur-
ry call to Roosevelt. Half dozen men, spewed
from the corner saloon, were now cursing loudly
about the~dying man. They had been attracted by
the raps of the nightstck. They scattered as Fin
erty and two patrolmen from the adjoining beats
butted through them. The scuttle and clang of
the ambulance from Fifty-eighth Street came faint
Iy from down the avenue.