Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-29

sheepish.
Well boys he said at last ITO be
honest with you. I'm disappointed. II
hasn't turned out as I wanted. ! had an
idea o selling this old thing to the king
as a modern Improvement Well. gone
futt. Silly idea, l s'pose. I'm sorry.
boys
Bassett and Dan Towers went right Up
in the air a. that that. The things those two
DO you mean to tell US. said Bassett,
Old Curiosity? Have you bought ito
Not yet said Sam, with mischievous
Not YETI said Dan and Bassett and
both went up in the air again. ] had to
seperate all three of en- and lock up
Bassett in his room cause he insisted on
locking Sam Bird up.
Now TO business" says Sam TO me-
Come along. Oh, and bring those snake
skins
l hoped up beside him on the seat. and
churned out into the road. leaving
Bassett trying to break out the shutters.
and Dan trying to say what he'd do If We
came back without those funds.
For the first time then / found how that
poor old chariot really suffered. She
groaned and pulled and shook and cried
like a baby. and even then could hardly
move out Of her own odor Sam was
shouting, but I only got snatches o. what
he said. AT 1t for a Notwithstanding
condemned her junk heap
their back compound never
before learned II two DAYS"
Like that All the rest was drowned. ex-
cept when he bumped his nose against
my ear and roared: Well come out
top-side up all right And another time
| She'll hold together full week. sure
All this time were blowing furrow
o natives and kosong ponies right and
left through NoordWijk.
Two blocks this side he slowed down
and made very heavy weather of it up to
the taxidermatists door The two French
men came out o their shop-civilzed-lo look
ing fellerS they Were-and Sam and they
ali began to talk Malay at once. They laid
1t out how chopput she could lari kilo-
meter. and Sam didn't know how long a
kilometer was. and when they tried to eX-
plain ii in Malay il was worse than before
And Sam had to coin terms like monkey
wrench-pooniah' TO express his feelings
toward the health of her interior. BY IL
o'clock they came down TO 1.5oo guilders
Bird stood firm and stern for 200.
They weakened a little. struggling their
/ shoulder just 10 show they didn't care
when they did.
Twelve hundred" repeats Sam, and
the snake skins
These reptiles may have turned the bal
ance, for they really were all right. and
we al knew it: only certain thing in the
whole transaction. So at II 20 with one
! tremendous shrug. II closed at Sans
price He paid down the skins and the
300 guilders promised the rest that after
noon. and we started back in our car.
She broke down twice. Sam really looked
worried then but after lot o prying and
crawling and hammering. off she limped
again
Those Frenchmen threw her on the
scrapheap six months ago.. he said
Lying In an open-face go-down didn't
do her a bit o good l studied her.
though. and the situation" Close-mouthed
chap, Sam was.
Next morning he had a young Siamese
courtier out with him. and that afternoon
was teaching him to steer, while Dan
Towers and Bassett sat bitterly comput-
Ing how much this spectacle cost US per
day. / didn't tell EN- she belonged TO US.
it saved trouble. Next day the same les
sons dwent on, and the oragn-utan took to
the banyan, mastheaded till after dark.
The third day Sam didn't climb in at all.
but the young Siamese did. and an older
man in pale pink and-green silks and
London helmet, and a servant up behind
holding gold umbrella over him. Just as
she started. splitting smoke and sobb!ng.
Boys drawls Sam Bird. Il told you
was disappointed the other day. ] was.
really, / meant to sell her 10 the king, but
l only got a lord. That's small game:
still. the pays just as much here"-he
slapped his pocket-'and there's five
thousand guilders to the good. If she lasts
till the Teung-Suey sails next Friday.
That night at the demonstration in our
veranda there were the 5000 guilders
Sans table still in Javasche bank notes.
Well, Sam. what-what YOU going tn
do with 1t ALP says Bassett He talked
mighty meek and timid.
Dams treasurer" says Bird This IS
the Vampire rescue rund Bass-tweive
hundred and fifty apiece, go as YOU
please
Bird Banzai.' says Bassett. You'll
do I'm sorry | said that Vampire. in a
moment o heat. Here's apologies.
"All right. my boy, says California.
How, And now what's the next move.
with all our money? What's the best
city in the world TO be wealthy in for a
while?"
Some said Paris, some New York and
Dan Towers was glum and wouldn't speak
even So We decided to write votes on
paper and put 'em in my topi and draw.
First city to be drawn we'd head for.
Bird drew for us, and held up the folded
slip Il kind O. hope Paris" he said.
Mind. though. we're bound, solemn
Then he opened It,
He looked as IL he saw ghost Then
he laughed. and threw the paper on the
table. Bassett stuck his nose into Ii and
read off
"Ashtabula, Ohio.'