The Washington herald., 1912-01-23
CHAPTER Xxx.

DIS amt no Joke. no lie at ALL went
on the well-known voice. ''Ah was in
heah one night las winteh, when dehe
come an awful scream outside. Kee
Lung. de Chlnaman, goes 70 de dooh. an
in falls a niggsh woman. She'd seen Il.
She'd seen a man standln' outside in de
yahd wtvout no haid-Just his body all
complete up 10 de neck-a big upstandIn'
Teller IN good clothes. he was. She done
let out one yell an fall ag!n de dooh.
Den dehe was a cIhcus man. a mighty
fine young man he was, too. what goes
roun' de country in de summah. graftin
wiv de big-top shows He was Test a.
comm in hesh when he seen de same
ting. ezaGjIly Identical Dat man mighty
nigh tuhned homes den and dehe. so he
did"
Don yo' 'spose. Sam" quavered a
voice from an adjacent bunk. "as how
all dis was joke? Summun might have
been foolin' an projickln' roun' Jest to
scahe folks silly. don yo' think?''
No, indeedy," answered the voice Of
big Sam. 'Dehe was no joke bout dis
at all Yo' Jest Ak Kee Lung. One time
when dat haidless ghos' done frighten
de livln' soul oCten some people comm
In heah, Kee Lung runs out wiv a lamp
an a smokewagon. He seen de same
ting-de haidless man-stannin' right
longside de doohway. Kee Lung frow a
Mt an bus de lamp all oveh hisserr
tryin' TO get back inside
''Madre de DIos." came a new and
trembling tone from the same bunk
whence the voice OF the negro had just
issued. Il am YER sorry ! mex entrance
here. care not, not me, to see ghosts
Ay de mil haf de good reason!'
The air thickened again with the smoke
OF opium. and the voices died down to
soft. uncertain whispers. Brockett wrig-
gied from the bunk. and Solano was Just
eXtricating himself from the narrow lin
its Of the smoking den. when there came
the sound OF a sudden struggle only a
few feet away. Thumping blows, hoarse
cries OF surprise and rage, and the crack
ing Of the woodwork under agitated feet
and hands made up a startling mixture
Of noises. Heads protruded from the half
dozen hunks around the room. The
ChInaman and the mulattc woman, ris-
ing from their chairs, came hurrying to-
ward the scene Of trouble-and then the
curtains OF one bunk were violently burst
asunder. A writhing, fighting heap fell
heavily to the floor. and a huge black
man, extricating himself with a great
heave OF knees and shoulders, rose up
gigantic In the smoky room. Round his
knees clung a smaller man, striving
frantically to drag the giant down. Big
Sam, with a beastlike snarL drove his
massive fist upon the head OF the cling
ing enemy, but did not break him from
his hold The smaller man tugged madly.
Big Sam, caught OF balance, fell like a
severed tree, and before he could rise
something flashed in the blue murk Of
the room. Big Sam, with a hoarse CUR
gle straightened out upon the fioor. The
little man sprang up. a knife in his
blood -spattered hand, and reached quick
" into the clothing OF his victim. As he
fumbled in the negro's pockets, the
Chinaman struck him with billet of
wood, and the mulatto woman caught his
knIfe-hand. The three dusky fighters
rolled and grappled, upsetting the miser-
able furniture Of the room, while another
hideous uproar began outside the thresh-
old and a scream OF The ghost; The
ghostr' mingled with insistent beatings
on the panels.
Stepping clear as best he could from
the struggle on the floor Solano tore
away the bolt. A man ana woman
vhite-faced, shrieking. stumbled into the
room-and at their heels came Flynn
and Hogan. large. convincing pistols
ready In their hands. Flynn shot his
fist against the ear OF the Chinaman,
while Hogan. in most unchivalric fash
ion. applied the gun-butt to the head OF
the muIatto woman. The wrtthing knot
upon the floor resolved itself into its
proper factors and the little man whose
knife had been driven into the body OF
big Sam rose. gaspingly. He drew his
hand across HIS eyes TO clear his brain
and get his bearings-and then MS gaze
fell upon the face Of young Brockett,
not six feet away. Another frtghtful
veil rang out, and, staggering straight
at the man he thought he slew two
nights before. the Filipino Agullar' feH
shrieking TO the ground.
Seems TO be quite a coheclon OF
choice ghosts. around here. me lads, re-
marked Oficer Hogan, while his partner
was giving such aid as he could to the
bleeding negro. This little brown party
seems to take ye for wan. an IT'S meself
as made a fine spook by the door Flynn
an me was standin' in Tn shadows,
waitin' for youse two 10 give the signal.
when we see these two well-dressed peo-
pie comm to tn door. AS luck wud
have II, i had taken of me hat an was
rubbin' me forehead with nandke<chieh
when they CHANGED to spy me. Forth
with they TUX me for tne snost tnat
loafs be night around these premises.
the ghost av a gent without a mead. All
they cud see, I'm supposin' was me
manly frame up to the meek. an they
certainly wiut nutty with tn horror av
# The ghost. the ghOstT they begin To-