The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-07-17
Danrly's
Own Story
BY DON MARQUIS
Copyright. 1912. by Doubleday, Page
r..
BY DON MARQUIS
Copyright. 1912, by Doubleday, Page
& Co.

This Teller Looney Hogan that we
with me was a kind of harmless cri
ter, and he didn't know jest where b
was going, nor why. He was mostl
scared Of things, and if you spoke t
him quick he shivered first and the
grlnned idiotic so you wouldn't kic
MIN, and when he talked he had
silly little giggle. He had been mad
that-a-way in a reform school wher
they took him young and tried to worl
the cussedness out'n him by battin,
him around. They worked it out an(
purity nigh everything else along will
Y 1t, l guess. LOoney had had pardne
whose name was Slim, he said. Blu
couple Of years before Slim had fel
overheard off'n barge up to Duluth
and never come I'D agin. Looney
knoWed Slim was drownded all right
but he was always travelling around
looking at tanks and freight depots
and switch shanties fur Sims mark
to be fresh cut with a knife some
where's. so he would know where to
foller and ketch up with him agin.
Looney left me at Evansville. He
said he was going east from there, he
guessed. And went along south.
But was hindered considerable, being
put on OF trains three or four times
and having to grab these here slow
local freights between towns s,ll the
way down through Kentucky. Any
where's south Of the Ohio river and
east of the Mississippi river trainmen
is grouehier to them they thinks is
buns than north Of it anyhow. Aad
in some parts Of it If q real bum gets
pinched heaven help i'm, fur nothing
else won't.
One night between II and / o'clock
l was put off Of freight train fur the
second time in a place in the northern
part Of Tennessee, right near the Ken
lucky line. I got into lumber yard
to rest
1t was dark night, and 50 fur as !
could see they wasn't much moving in
that town. Only few places was lit !
up. One was way acrost the town
square from me, and it was the tele-
phone exchange, with Il man operator
reading a book in there! The other
was the telegraph room in the depot
about q Knndrsd yards hon me, aud
they was only two fellers in it, both
smoking. The main business part Of
the town was built up around the
square.
l knowed they was likely a watch
man somewheres about too. 1 guessed
wouldn't wander around none and
run no chances Of getting took up by
him. So l was getting ready to lay
Gown on top of level pile Of boards
and go to sleep when 1 hearn a Gu
rious kind of noise away off, like it
must be at the edge of town.
1t sounded like quite bunch Of cat
lie might shutting along a dusty road.
The night was so quiet you could hear
things plain from long ways off. 1t
srowed little louder and little near
'r, and then 1t struck plank bridge
'omewheres and come acrost it with !
clatter. Then I knowed it wasn't !
'attle. Cows and steers don't make !
hat cantering kind of noise as rule: I
hey trot. It was bosses crossing that I
bridge, and they was quite a lot of 'em. 9
AS they struck the dirt road agin l i, l
learn shot. And then another and I
mother. Then dozen all to oncet,
ind away off through the night a wo- 1
nan screamed.
Mems voices began to yell out. They ?
vas the noise Of people running along I
flank sidewalks and windows opening II
q the dark. Then with rush the gal
oping noise come nearer, come closer; o
aced by the place where I was hiding, n
nd nigh a hundred men with guns a
wept right into the middle Of that r
quare and pulled their bosses up.