The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1916-04-11
THE IRON CLAW
SEVEN. .S0DE
"THE HOODED HELPER"


teries. And about her tranquil Ce-
dar home she felt were transpiring
events altogether too inexplicable to
remain long to her liking.
So when Hannah, the plump but less
predetermined caretaker of that
erstwhile abode of tranquility, trem-
ulously announced that stranger in
. yellow mask had left bright-col-
ored parrot, answering to the name of
Tito, at the door for Miss Margery,
the bird in question was viewed with
open disfavor, and Margery was sub
jected to many disturbing interroga-
lions.
None Of the girls answers proving
satisfactory, however, her firm-willed
maiden aunt proposed that they pro-
coed with their interrupted game of
Preference" But green parrots in
stinct and enigmatic cry of Look
out for the Iron Claw" proved in no
way consistent with so tranquilizing
a game, and the owner of the house
finally and firmly commanded the de-
parting Hannah, who Slept OUT to
carry the disturbing creature of to
her own cottage for the night.
This Hannah did, with much mum
bling, and deposited it in her chicken
coop.
There Tito would have spent a quiet
and uneventful night, in all likelihood,
had not certain mildly-predacious
negress answering to the name of
Jemima Watson, returned all but
empty-handed to her suburban home.
For one of the by-products of this
dusky lady's activities as a scrub
woman was the gathering Of those
trifles which find their way to the
waste baskets and refuse cans of Of
fee buildings. And her only harvest,
on this occasion, was a half portion
Of a time-yellowed code chart and
map, which had blown fir
balcony of the Central
Rastus Watson, Jemima's lord and
master, flung the sheet of paper down
on their kitchen table in disgust when
it was placed before him as the
extent of days 'pickin's."
Now, Rastus, who was of much port
lier frame than his spouse, was firm
believer in the efficiency of forced
feeding And since the days harvest
had been lean one, and the larder
showed disturbing signs of emptiness,
that plump-bodied negro possessed
himself Of worn gunnysack and an
nounced his determination of acquir-
ing few pullets while hunger ran
high and the moon swung low. In
stinct combined with fate to lead Ras-
tus by the nose, take him stealthily
over the backyard fence of the afore-
mentioned Hannah, and from there to
the door Of the padlocked coop.
If in the excitement of the moment the
lightness of one bird tossed into the
bag escaped his attention; it was per-
haps due to the haste with which he
had to make off with his prisoners. He
was blinking cautiously about, to
make sure the coast was clear, when
a voice startlingly close to his own
portly carcass called out with a sud
den warning:
Look out for the Iron Claw"
"How's dat?" was the answering
cry of the tingling Rastus.
Look out for the Iron Claw" re-
peated the voice so close behind him.
"Wha-what iron claw" demanded
the sweating Rastus.
'I'll get you!" announced the bode-
full voice behind him. And at that
threat utter and unreasoning panic
seized the terrified Rastus, who, with
a throaty below of agony, charged
across newly-dug garden and bound
ed like a rotund jackrabbit down a
moonlit alley bordered with shadowy
| fences.
At the end of this alley Rastus
plunged through a narrow gate, and
charged bodily into the peaceful beer
] garden belonging to the roadhouse of
one Antonio Dibello, where sat four
men in quiet conference about one OF
the little iron tables well out of pub
lie ken.
ACoC mOA oAOWC0 PAOAhPt AOOOASS
ment at this unheralded interruption
to their talk. But as the parrot, with
it's head thrust through hole in the
gunnysack, repeated its shrill cry of
Look out for the Iron Claw" these
men rose in a body to their feet.
Their leader, who in even the dim
light from the garden lamps showed
himself to be one-armed man with
strangely-scarred face, sprang for
the terrified negro. Rastus, however,
was in no mood for either interruption
or argument He merely emitted q
whoop of reawakened terror and head
ed for home.
There he burst in upon the astound
1 ed Jemima and collapsed with q
| quavering groan of exhaustion. But be-
/ fore Jemima could either understand
4 the nature of his ailment or investi
K gate the contents of his gunnysack, q
second and even more violent irrup
ton took place. Legar and his mer
dragged the quaking and gasping Ras
tus to his feet, showed him into chair
and snatched up the gunnysack. From
1 it they took out the loudly-protestins
green parrot and wonderingly ex