The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-05-30

FOUND SOMETHING IN A SMALL oAKRN
self to death. that I'm an easy mark
FOR fever, that next pay day FL be
dropped from the roll because of that
Ortsago blunder, but. dash it all, Ralph.
can't help It'll"
"Help whatY asked Lester bluntly.
Help being afraid"
afraid! Afraid of whatT
"Oh. don't know Yes, do know,
and might as well make a clean
breast Of my cowardice. I'm afraid
Of the fever"
You've lost your nerve, and you'll
suffer till you get 1t back again." said
Lester. Cant you get leave of alb
sence and take fishing trip out to
scar"
mo leave Of absence for me. I'm
slated to be fred" said the other
gloomily.
Then be ready to make good in an
other direction when you are fred
Don't let this job throw you down for
good Don't be gutter. that's what
mean," ended Ralph. "Oh. look
who's hereT" He stared at a strange
figure that came down the length Of
the hot street, propelled into the air by
leaps and bounds, followed by an alb
surd hop, skip and jump. Trailing In
his wake were the riffraff of the town.
A flicker of interest ran through the
do y.
leaned forward, elbows on the railing,
and waited for the approach of the
man.
Presently be paused before the We
randa and addressed them in a wild
incoherent, incomprehensible speech.
Ragged and unkempt, with matted
black hair growing low on his fore
head, he peered from rolling eyes at
the white men His speech became a
passionate appeal for something which
nobody understood He waved away
with swift impatience large glass of
whisky and soda which Stevens good
naturally sent down to him. He shook
his mad locks angrily at the handful
of cigarettes that followed He below
ed with rage when food was proffered
Meantime the crowd laughed and jeer
ed. Nobody appeared to understand
his language; not word could be
translated of his rambling appeals
Lester held up handful Of money
to the black servant This for you,
Luiz. If you can find out what the
man wants. he said In Spanish
The Haitian grinned and darted to
the street, where he conferred with a
stranger. A low mutter came up from
them, and finally the stranger turned
impatiently away, while LUZ uttered
a few words In the vernacular that
scattered the crowd like char. Then
be sauntered to the veranda and
swelled with Importance under the
curious regard Of the white men.
well. what did you find outY' de-
manded Lester. pouring the coins into
the blacks ready palm.
'The man says he came from the
jungle yonder-it is half a days jour
pey to his hut"-Luiz hesitated as If
at a loss for words; then. clutching the
money tightly In bis hand. be added
hurriedly: THE fever-the fever-his
mother Is dying Of the fever, and he
Graves that one Of the learned senors
will return and cure with the bitter
root"
At call from within the hotel the
black man picked up his tray and de-
parted. while the engineers stared at
each other with uncertain eyes.
Buttons lean jaws had snapped shut
at the word fever" His dark eyes
were fixed on the form OF the wild
Indian, now standing dejectedly in the
hot sun.
HE said fever" remarked Stevens,
with sickly smile. 81 shouldn't
think they would allow the fellow
around, you know"
His mothers dying" said Lester
coldly.
There was an uncomfortable pause.
Suddenly Burton leaped to his feet
and disappeared inside When his
footsteps had ceased Stevens laughed
his little cackling utterance Of arnuse-
ment.
BY Jove, but Burton has certainly
got 'em badl I suppose he'll try to
drown that bad impression with a
quart or two"
AS If BY mutual consent the group
Of men dissolved, and only Lester was
left He seemed to be waiting for
some one, and while he waited he
pulled out little pocket medicine