The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1912-03-03
No one stirred finger Here. I'll go

the skyiight, but all OF sudden d"
stopped. an | heard him gasp.
by gum says be. an his face went
white that's queer that's darned.
queer
Whats the matter. Clark sail
Brady, jrprtn' him. Why don't ye
90 down: Is it the dead men ye're
feared of? Sure. men like them cant
hurt We God rest their sowlS" be.
added SoI"mn:y.
But Clark never needed him except
to say. I'm sorry spoke, Irish From
Brady be turned to me-
Lay your hand alongside my leg.
me-
Then | noticed that instead OF his
feet dan%Iin' this way an that, as
mans mostly do. they hung stiff an
cramped like.
with that | stretched my arm down.
palm out, slowly. slowly, the WAY ia
seen Brady move. though for the life
me | couldn't have told why, for there
was nothn' to see, an. like him. went
back with jump an II yell There,
just below the line o the frame, where
there was nothin'. nothin at all but
clear air an sunshine. was Il cod
Spongy cleanliness like dry. soft iCe--i"e
that was n thin, dry jelly an that sank
under the hand like dough
why don't ye go down says Era.
dy again-'why don't ye 20 down, ye
Yankee coward? Is it the dead you're
feared of
That stung Clark Curious. isn't it?
Call man cur an he grins or may
be RIFLES up bit but cali him an
English cur an he'll shake the life out
O you. To couple Yank with coward
was too much for Clark an God keep
me from ever seem again the sight
saw. then
Who's coward:' says he Don't
talk so much. Irish Coward your
self. and come on if you dare. All
hands below
"Grippin' the bar in front, he swung
off an let himself drop with IA thrust
up that partly turned him round For
breath he hung as if upon nothin',
but reckon he hadn't fairly let go the
bar when he'd have given the world
an all for a fresh hold, Down he
foundered. not straight, as man
should, but as if he was drownin' an
drownin' in cold pitch that sucked him
in by inches. That the stuff whatever
it was. gripped him close I know. for
snw his clothes run up his leg an leave
it bare an that he repented his fool
hardness know. for up few one hand
TO catch at the bar. up with a wild
swing an missed it. grippin' it with his
finger nails. an out few the other.
clutchin' at the wooden ledge. but
missed it too
" Lord. Lord he screamed. with
sob. THROWN his head back Lord,
Lord
His eyes caught mine as he went
under. though to me an Brady it was
just that his open mouth was below
the line O. the skylight But under he
vas. for the scream stopped short with
a choked gurgle. though his mouth
I
"UI, to that we had stood scared and
staring but as he screamed our sense
came back. an we plunged forward.
grabbin at his hands But il he was
late so were we. He had slipped past
reach. an as we watched we saw him
tight on the table slowly and greasily
| an paw at it vaguely with his feet.
| For a minute he swayed there. his big
sea boots maxim no noise on the wood
an his arms beatin the air with
cramped jerks. Hike as if somethin' held
his hands, Then he staggered an
rolled sideways to the floor. where he
| lay on his back. twelve feet away. Civ
| in us stare for stare. an we no more
able to help him than if he was fifty
fathoms under the sea. As many men
as you've fingers I've seen drown. but
| never one like that. yet drown he did
| if | know what drownin' means God
have mercy upon him. for it was an
awful end Three great pants he gave.
pants like to split his chest: then he
lay quiet an as the hulk rocked TO the
heave o the swell the sunshine through
the port played backward an forward
across his face without so much as a
flaw in its light
BRADY pulled himself together first.
After we'd failed TO catch Clark's
bands he had leaned over the skyIight.
dry sobbin an prayin' like IA mother
by cradle but ut last he shook him
self az dog might comm out o water.
I'm goin' down. Towson. says he.
Down cried |. Down Why.
man. it's death. DO you see yonder"
"'Arrah. then. have | eyes Isn't 1t
that that fakes me down? How far
offs the table?
Seven feet. be it more or less says
/. wonderin if | had mailman on my
hands next WHAT'S your notion:
My notion is the airs froze. not
with cowid but with sumethin' that
was in what's smashed on the foor
there. Ny notion is the c,ddr WAS
calked as tight as a captains gig. III