The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1919-03-13
755e
Hottentot
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Ely JEROME @. BEATTY
.(Copyrlght)

The rain was pouring down outside
our room on the fourth floor of the
Zendine, and O'Grady and I sat play
ing twosome bridge with dummy
hands. 1t was nearly three o'clock in
the morning. / was dealing ITO
O'Grady, who sat facing the windows.
II never knew an Irishman In my
life who wouldn't try to lick every
thing, even the worst animal thatNde-
lirium tremens ever
O'Grady stopped short.
He was staring at the window be-
hind me, and slowly and carefully ne
began to pull out the drawer in the
table in front of him. We kept our
revolvers in that drawer.
stopped dealing.
"Keep on. Don't move," he COM
manded softly.
The rain seemed to have stopped.
found later that dealt all the cards
In the middle of the table. Behind
me, through the open window, ] heard
the clang of chains and sort OF
scraping on the brick wall. There was
no fire-escape there and the ground
was four stories below. thought ]
heard a low growl.
The next instant brown human
skull fell on the table before me, rolled
over and stopped. staring with empty
eyes at my throat.
O'Grady fired past my head. turn
ed quickly, and out of the window,
where it had crouched / saw a big,
dripping, hideous, one-armed, hairy
figure, from whose breast long horn
pr0truded
And it had no headI
Then in a muffied growl, the head
less giant spoke!
Cant you give a guy lift2" It
said.
We couldn't tell where the voice
came from.
A"what are your" asked in astonish-
ment
s'Talk up or I'll shoot again"
O'Grady commanded.
"rm the Headless Hottentot of the
Himalayas--the Blood-Sweating Kiosk
of the Holy Writ, and my name is Bill
Klank, You missed me the first time.
but please don't shoot again. All
want is somebody to undo me anc let
me get at the pie-eyed rat that got
me into this"
"Who? Us7' asked the ever-cau-
tious O'Grady.
mo-" grunted the Headless Hotten-
tot, and with remarkable agility, con-
sidering that he had only one arm, he
began to crawl up the water-pipe.
We helped the wet, muddy giant
into the room. On his instructions we
unlocked him down the back, and Bill
Klank-a whole man--stripped Off his
skin and sank into a chair.
The porter was called from the bar,
cigars were put at the side o + he
Blood Sweating Kiosk, and he told us
this story:
Il was high-wire man, doubling In
a trapeze act with the Bingley Broth
ers' circus until a month ago. when
met that heather, sneaking yeggman
that"
Have another drink" interrupted
the diplomatic O'Grady.
The Kiosk swallowed the liquid with
toss Of his head, and continued:
"TOm Hanks was ballyh0O man ut
the side-show. He framed up the
scheme where we were to have so
much money that the price of a motor
car would be small change. The only
thing about this plan that makes me
hesitate. Tom says to me, SIS that
somebody might murder us so as to
steal our act We took the chance
rather I did. Tom, the yellow-heart-
ed, cheese-brained-
Thanks. This Is good liquor.
1.-THE plan was to make Headless
Hottentot, and take him round the
RUDE route country fairs, you know.
I was to be the Hottentot, and Tom
was to ballyhoo We bought us an
old lions cage from the circus and
got us lot of chains, and made that
suit. It's great suit" he said proud
ly; made it out Of mule-skin and
horse-hair and a cows horn. wouldn't
take hundred dollars for it. 1t
hooks up so good you can look all
over me when it's on and not find how
got into it.
"We got banner painted. I fur
nished the money. Gee, if there ever
was goat, / was it, and all because
that long-nosed son of an orang
Much obliged. This is better liquor
than we got out in the prairies.
eve made our first pitch over in
Nebraska. Tom chained me in the
cage, loosened up the bars so could
rattle EN-, and fixed the springs so
when I thrashed round--I was sup
posed to have torn up trees before
they caught mc-the cage would near
ly fall over"
but what did you do with this?' l
asked, pointing to the skull which still
lay on the table.
THAT was my head. 1t was cut
off in the jungles of Hanky- Foo, where