Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-02-10

Wnlle each in turn rebuffed him. Willie
could not sing. and the crowd groanedI
put when cara put so much realism into
her rebuff that she slapped his face there
was a roar of delight, and the other
girls took their cue from cara. They
slapped him, kicked at him. kicked his
hat OF, pushed and pulled him this way
II that, pursued him around the stage
and the men roared with appreciation
n shouted their encouragement.
Give him the booti Give him the
boot!' some one cried, and others took
up the cry, and the volatile Frenchman
leaped again to the platform to show
how it should be done, but Blummer
put him down again. Nevertheless, he
was willing to give the crowd what they
wanted, so to the girls who winnowed
Willie about the stage he whispered. over
and over: Keep 1t up! Keep it upl Soak
him good"
Then-Kirk and Blummer were shout
Ing The dialogue-he began to detect a
new note in the voice of the crowd. The
men were not so good humored as they
had been; they were wearying OF such
tame sport. Willie knew the signs; he
was an old trooper, and he had seen dis
order before. 1t was plain to him now
that they were brewing a more tempes-
tuous outbreak, and he listened with in
creasing alarm, n when he thought OF
what might happen he cringed with fear.
But 1t did not occur to him to escape,
He had the trouper's instinct to go on
with the show; and besides, he might be
needed to look out for the girls.
They were approaching the end Of the
second act when the catastrophe broke
upon them. The girls were singing
Wont You Please Love Me a Little?" to
Keith Kirk, while Kirk, as his part de-
| mAnnp6 raufcfprad crOrn diCdain dis
gust. They besought him, individually
and in chorus, to smile upon them, to
give them q kiss, to marry them; and
the crowd, already disguised with him.
resented his aloofness.
Some one yelled: Jaw. give them a
kissl"
Another shouted: you big stiff
a drunken man beloved: Les hang
the big bum!"
This tickled them; they were willing
to watch Keith's reaction TO the threat,
and a dozen stamped into the aisle and
toward the stage. At the same time an
egg in the condition sanctifed by an
! Gent custom for such usage, struck the
back drop with a scattering sound. Kirk
looked toward the crowd, hesitated for
an instant, then lost courage and leaped
toward the door at one side of the plat
form. He was gone before they could in
bClANlts pQV blc SWlil VI lllCll tlldt 6OlRllt
to catch him blocked the escape of the
others and they were left pilloried upon
the stage where other missiles now were
flying. Willie, crouching in his retreat,
thanked his poor fates that he was in
conspicuous, n sat still.
1t was at this moment that Willie
found himself climbing onto the stage.
He was shaking with terror; there never
was man more afraid. But Blummer had
UIupn IDD nr6 fhn rnNh uynC cfti1 r1aNnnt-
fed, n the girls were helpless. He
might be able to do something. He got
to the middle of the stage n tried a
dance step and the crowd beloved at
him and hands reached to catch his
ankles. Something had thus far re-
strained the men from leaping upon the
stage; they contented themselves with
crowding close. cropping toward Willie's
heels with clutching fingers.
Willie danced out of the way, and
shouted waveringly: Come on, boys, we'll
sing you a song"
Not one in ten heard him. A battered
old alarm clock hurtled through the air
and he felt the numb stab of the blow
against his cheek bone, and felt the blood
run. He grinned bravely at that, taking
hope, though the pain made him weak.
He knew that such an incident often
served to sober a crowd like this. They
would sometimes be content with hay
ing dom a hurt, would permit one scape-
goat to buy immunity for the others.
Willie hated pain and feared 1t, but he
was willing to be hurt in a good cause,
and there was no one else since Blum
mer had surrendered.
But he saw at once that his hope was
vain. the clamor was scarce interrupted
by the incident. One man howled at
the sight Of blood; and two or three
climbed up on the edge of the platform
and stood irresolutely. Willie, for the life
Of him, could not help seeing that these
men wore spiked shoes. AFFECT and ut
ter panic overwhelmed him; his legs
wished to run, to run desperately. His
very soul wished to run away.
But Mrs. Marnihan had pointed out
that some n might be needed to take
care of the girls. And he knew that a
single victim would often suffice for such
a mob as this. There we're half a dozen
men on he stage now, and they were
rolling with liquor. Willie wanted to
run away; bu he ran at them instead.
Some one had reached out toward cara
and caught her shoulder. AS she shrank
away Willie leaped with his light body
across the mans outstretched arm, bear
ing 1t down. The man swore, and flung
him off, and Willie fell and some one
stepped on his hand. Stepped on his
hand and stood there, swaying to and
fro while the spikes bit deeper. Willie
was painting and sick with pain, but he
got the other arm free and encircled a
leg and pushed and tugged n another
mar went down. Then a fight developed
all about him and over his head, and he
fell of the platform to the floor, among
a forest of legs, beneath a thousand
stamping feet. His hands and arms and
legs were pierced and torn. e a boot
heel mercifulIy cuffed him n uncon-
seriousness and he suffered no more.
Willie's attack had served to start q
backward swirl of the crowd; half a doz-
en- individual fights started; those on the
stage dropped off to join them. But when
Willie fell some one with senses still
sober felt his limp body under foot Inc
pushed the crowd back until a little
space was cleared and they could see
Willie lying SO helplessly. The crowd
began to stink away; two or three shamed
giants stayed to give what help they
could: and cara dropped to the floor and
caught his head in her arms and
screamed at them.
You're q fine lott A fine lot you arei'
Her teeth were barred and her eyes
scorched. and they backed away. The
other girls gathered around Willie. But
he did not know they were SO kind to
him.
When his senses trickled back through
the black walls which shut him in he
was abed In the hotel and his head hurt
and his arms burned with soaring pain.
4 man who must be O doctor was busy
T~torturing him. His hand were chewed
and torn; he must, the doctor said, lose
a finger or two.