Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-05-09
13fe
Hottentot
BY JEROME @. BEATTY
(Copyright)

The rain was pouring down outside
our room on the fourth floor of the
Zendine, and OGrady and sat play
Ing twosome bridge with dummy
hands. 1t was nearly three o'clock In
the morning. was dealing to
0'Grady, who sat facing the windows.
II never knew an Irishman in my
thing, even the worst animal that de-
lirlum tremens ever"
O'Grady stopped short.
looked up.
He was staring at the window be-
hind me, and slowly and carefully he
began to pull out the drawer in the
table in front Of him. We kept our
revolvers in that drawer.
stopped deakng
Keep on. Don't move" he COM
manded softly.
The rain seemed to have stopped. I
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 a sort OF
scraping on the brick wall. There was
no fre-escape there and the ground
was four stories below. thought I
heard 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 I saw a big,
dripping, hideous, one-armed, hairy
figure, from whose breast long horn
protruded.
And 1t had no head
We rushed to the window, O'Grady
first, carrying the revolver The huge
beast was several feet below our win
dow, hanging to the water-pipe, Its
feet on q brick cap over the window
below ours. Chains hung from its
body, and by the light from the street
we could see that its long hair was
matted with mud.
Mortified, we watched the thing
struggle moment to get a firm foot
ing and to hold with one arm, which,
noticed now, was attached to its
side instead Of It's shoulder.
Then IN n muffied growl, the head
less giant spokel
Cant you give a guy a liftT II
said.
We couldn't tell where the voice
came from.
"What are your" asked In astonish-
ment.
"Talk up or I'll shoot again."
O'Grady commanded.
I'm 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 l
want Is somebody to undo me and let
me get at the pis-eyed rat that got
me into this"
who? Usf" asked the ever-cau-
tious O'Grady.
NO" grunted the Headless Hotten-
tot, and with remarkable agility, con-
sIderlng 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-strlpped Off his
skin and sank into chair. His head
and one Of his arms had been inside
the padded covering, which was so de-
vised as to make the top Of his head
level with the shoulders Of the head
Tess animal he represented. To see,
he had been forced to look out two
sits In the chest Of the skin.
The porter was called from the bar
cigars were put at the side Of the
ood-sweating Kiosk, and he told us
this story:
81 was a high-wire man, doubling In
a trapeze act with the 3ingley 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:
TON Hanks was ballyhoo man at
the side-show. He framed up the
scheme where we were to have so
much money that the price Of q motor
car would be small change. The only
thing about this plan that makes me
hesitate Tom says to me, Is that
somebody might murder us 80 as to
rather did. Tom, the yellow-heart-
ed, cheese-bralned-
Thanks. This is good liquor.