Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-06

A"SStcu .Utth tNC 0Sy
Ieaden hail arose the anguished out.
cries Of some one deUoting himself heart
and soul to the rapid transit problem.
him in Commissioners street, mile away,
where his feet had unconsciouSiy returned him
to the scenes of his former triumphs with the
bass drum.
"Ducktooth headin' dis way now" cautioned
Sim. HE done found out he done shot Latham
wild dat ten-dollar bill he wuZ Savin' up to 60
to Bumminha on, an he TO times madder'n
he wuz when he find out Dora done gone. He
think she go wild you
Denials didn't appeal to Gladstone like dis
lance. The only thing getting thicker was bad
news. The canebrakeS of the Tombgbee
River bottoms sure were calling boy. That
in turn, called for lunch. And it wasn't the
first time Gladstone had risked his life for @
meal. Up the street and adjoining DR.. EN-
erSon's offices of happy memory was barbecue
stand that would supply his need.
But the proprietor of it met Gladstone's de-
scent upon his wares with news that set Glad
stones heart to doing tricks and his eyes to
rolling strangely Things hadn't finished hap
pening yet, it seemed.
dat Doc Emrson round heah while go"
volunteered the barbecue dispenser affably, vivid
behind him, he in SIGH a swivel. Low he
bleeged to git dat drum he lock up next do.
Den Oh train whistle an he drap de key an
gallop off groanin' like he feel pow'ful bad
bout somep'n. Sho look worried"
Gladstone was on his knees searching before
the keyhole next door before his informant was
half through. Just beyond that locked door
lay the drum that should yet be his solace in
the canebrakes. AS his hand found the dropped
bowl 1ic hoI
the corner a block away came the sound Of
vengeful feet on the sidewalk.
Gladstone flung himself into frenzy of un-
locking. Nearer sounded the 1919 feet. To-
morrow the niggers were either going to be
saying, "Ain't he sound noble?" or "Ain't he
look natural?" All depended on whether he
got the drum now before Ducktooth got the
range.
Then two clicks-one as the key finally turned
the lock, the other as Ducktooth pulled back his
hammer and took aim.
And crash! second later sounded the roar of
Ducktooth's muzzle-loader fired in anger.
Gladstone dived, snatched and dived again.
Crash! went a window sash on the opposite
side OF the room as Gladstone went through it
with a 40-inch bass drum!
Gladstone'S feet reached for the river road
Old canebrakes wern't calling half as hard as
Gladstone was answering. Dora was gone; Doc
still buried, so far as Gladstone was concerned.
But If his feet and the darkness held out he
had his drum!
Yet it was his feet that were his downfall.
In the language of the stables-at 20 miles an
hour due to getting his shoes from two different
white gentlemen of different sizes and tastes
Gladstone interfered. And thus, with his life
and liberty still in the balance, speeding shoe
caught on slower calf and disaster fell So
did Gladstone. And in falling he thrust a foot
squarely through the smooth and sonorous
surface of his drum!
Gone now everything. Stilled forever was his
new-found drum. 1t would never fat again.
or sharp either. Gone was the hope and the
dream of crowded curbs and cheering contem-
porarieS of that future day when, with Duck
tooth appeaSed, he should again thunder lustilv
in solo up The HILL
Weakly he stopped to disengage himself from
the wreckage that merely halted and hobbied
him now. OF small interest the fact that there
were no longer sounds of armed pursuit upon
his trail.
And then! And then! Wild words upon the
Tombigbee's banks! A sound of lone revelry by
night
"Whoopee!" chortled a recent fugitive
Buys myself new drum an goes Nawth in
de mawnin'!" he told the. world aloud "Ain't
keer who Oh Doc Emerson ridin' wild an whar
he gwine-dat niger done make good wild me
jes' like he say he gwine do! Buied treasure
ne done promise me, an bu'ied treasure done
found! No wonder he SO stingy wild hit! No
wonder Ducktooth hit dem flats! Bleeged to cut
down de tone wild all Docs money whut ev'y-
tHNrI SwHp H..