The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-03-20
Use
Hottentot
00
By JEROME O. BEATTY


our room on the fourth floor OF the
ZendIne. and O'Grady and sat play
Ing twosome bridge with dummy
hands. II was nearly three o'clock In
the morning. was dealing to
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 that de-
lirium tremens ever"
O'Grady stopped short.
looked up.
He was staring Mt 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.
I stopped dealing.
Keep on. Don't move" he CON-
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 low growl.
The next instant a brown human
skull fell on the table before me. rolled
over and stopped. staring with empty
eyes at my throat.
O'Grady fred past my head. turn
ed quickly. and out of the window,
where II had crouched saw big,
dripping. hideous, one-armed, hairy
figure. from whose breast a long horn
protruded.
And II had no headl
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 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. ~
Horrifled. we watched the thing
struggle a moment to get firm foot.
ing and to hold with one arm. which. I
noticed now, was attached to its
side instead of Its shoulder.
Then In muffied growl, the head
less giant spoke!
: Cant yoI give a guy a lift?" It
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
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 and let
me get at the pie-eyed rat that got
me into this"
"Who? UsT asked the ever-cau.
tious O'Grady.
NO" 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
him down the back, and Bill
Klank-a whole man-strlpped of 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 O I ( he
Blood d-Sweating Kiosk, and he told us
this story:
II was high-wire man, doubling In
4 trapeze net with the Bingley Broth.
ers' circus until month ago, when I
met that heather. sneaking yeggman
that"
"Have another drink" interrupted
he diplomatic O'Grady.
The Kiosk swallowed the liquid with
, toss of his head, and continued:
"Tom Hanks was ballyho0 man at
he side-show. He framed up the |
scheme where we were to have SO
much money that the price of motor.
.ar would be small change. The only
hing about this plan that makes me
Tom says to me, Is that
might murder us 80 as to
teal our act We took the chance
'ather I did. Top. the heart.
ID. cheese-brained-
Thanks. This 10 good liquor.
"The plan was to mako Headless
1ottentOt. and take him round the
tube route-country fairs. you know.
was to be the Hottentot. and Tom
vas to ballyh0o. We bought us an
Id lions cage from the circus and
'ot US lot Of chains, and made that
uit. It's great suit" he said proud
y; made II out Of .mule-sxin and
Iorse-hair and cows horn. wouldn't
AXE q hundred dollars for II. II