Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-07-06

l.
| the suit he placed clean underwear
fresh socks and, on the ground. a PAL,
of slippers.
Alan stripped. bathed and dressed
The Zanzibar handed him cup OF
hot tea. By the time the tea was drunk
the table was freshly laid and Alan
sat down TO a steaming bowl of broth
and dinner.
After dinner McDougal joined him
for a smoke. For full half hour they
sat wordleSs. Darkness fell and
brought out the lights of their fitfully
glowing pipes. From the mems camp
came a subdued chatter. Tie men
were feeding. AS they finished they
lit fires-a fire for every little group.
The smell Of the wood fires triumphed
over every other odor.
McDougal had met Alan first in a
bare room at an African seaport. The
room was furnished with a chair and
table. At the table sat Alan. busy
with final estimates and plans for sup
plies for his little army. The interview
was short. McDougaI had asked for a
job and Alan had answered. Get out"
McDougal had repeated his request
and the rest Of the story be told the
next morning before the resident mag
istrate in the chair and Alan in the
dock
"Aweel, your honor, it was this way:
1 went into Mr.. Wayne's office and
asked him for worruk and he said, Get
out l asked him again and he said,
'I'll give you two to get out-One-
Two and with that he cooms on to
the table and flying through the air.
| had jOOst considered that it was best
l should let him hit me first aimee that
l might break him with justice when
he struck me face with both fists, and
his knee in the pit of me stummick.
And that's all, your honor, sayin' the
Kafir that | woke up to find watering
me and a rose bush, TURN by turn
ABBOTT"
II suppose" said the magistrate,
covering his twitching mouth with his
hand, that was the Kafir | signed a
hospital pass for last night"
st may weel be- replied McDougal
dreamily. ct may weel be-"
We'll, McDougal, l think this is a
matter that can be settled out of
court"
McDougal held up a vast hand in
interruption. Begging your pardon,
your honor, there'n be nae settling Of
this matter out of coort between Mr.
Wayne and myself. Aimee is enough"
Justice and the prisoner in the dock
surrendered to laughter. McDougal
stood grave and unperturbed
what l meant" said the magis-
trate when he recovered, sis that Mr.
Wayne will probably give you a job
and call it all square"
That's It," said Alan.
81 asked Mr.. Wayne for worruk and
If it's worruk he is giving me I'll nae
be denying it is fair answer" replied
McDougal, and forthwith became Ten
Percent Wayne's gang boss and under
study in the art of driving men with
both fists and knee.
McDougal knocked out his third
pipe. 'The dell Of a country is this"
he said; '"in the seas of it a life-pre-
server holds you up handy for sharks
and in the rivers does swimming save
your life? Nae. 1t gives you a meal
to the crOcs."
They had lost black that day. He
had slipped from the bridge into the
water. He had started to swim to
shore and then suddenly disappeared
IN a swirl.
C0nversationally, McDougal limited
himself to sentence a day in which
he summed up the one event that had
struck him as worthy of notice Hay
ing delivered himself of his observa
ton for the night he lit his pipe once
more and relapsed into silence
McDougars was companionable ST.
lence. Alan could feel him sitting
there in the dark, raw-boned and dour
but ready at the word of command.
1t was after eight when Alan called
for a light and drew from a worn let
ter case the correspondence that
runner from the coast had brought In
that day. He glanced over official COM
munications, blue prints and business
letters and stuffed them back into the
leather case. One fat letter, note
paper size, remained.
"McDougal," said Alan, "hush up
the campbell 'em it's nine o'clock"
McDougal arose and picking up a
big stick strobe over towards the men.
The stick was so big that he had never
had to use it. At the mere sight of it
the men desisted from clamor, dance
and horse-play.
Alan drew the fat letter from it's
envelope and for the second time read,
Dear Alan: AS you see, this is from
New York. We came down yesterday.
All summer have been watching for my
second self because I'm just about grown
up now-outside, I mean-inside is different
somehow-and three days before we left
/ really caught her looking at me while
was sitting on the old stone bench
down by the pond
I jumped up and ran after her all the
way down Long Lane and up the Low
Road to where the red COW broke her leg
that time and there I lost her I didn't
find her again and had to come away
without her and now I feel so queer
sort of half-y, just like you.
Somehow I can't blame her She didn't
want to leave the Hill in the gorgeous
month so she just stayed behind. Do you
remember
This is the gorgeous month when Ieafy
fires