Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-08

well. you ain't." says Little Golightly "You
told me to go out and get power. So went out
and got it,
"You don't sayl" says Bender, glarin' at him.
"And where's this power you're so brash
about?"
Its inside my head" says Little Gohghtly.
Its knowledge. And knowledge is power
And he starts to pull out his inkhorn all
ready to draw Bender a bird. But Bender just
picks him up and heaves him into the river.
Go and catch q mess Of catflsh-you and
your knowledge!" he bawis, and starts for his
cabin.
But he's hardly reached the cabin door before
Little Golightly stands IN front Of him again,
all wet but ncways hustered
LAS I was Sayin'," says he-and BenderS
rather took aback.
We'll. you have got the CUTS Of q river man,
If you amt got the size" he admits. But you
better talk fast and clever-or over you go
again."
IT can do that" says Little Golightly. And
he starts provin to Bender what an advantage
tin be to him to have Teller that knows how
to read and fgger aboard For Hell" Bender
and "Hardax" Boland is ignorant men and
they keeps their accounts by taIlieS and chalk
marks. Consequently they gets cheated-and
though they cheats enough themselves to make
I'D for it they do lose considerable cash for lack
of just that learnin' that Little Golightly ac-
qured. And Bender can see what's to his adj
vantage-and If he hires the only scholar on
the river, he's be able to put It over "Hardax"
BoIand.
So the bargains struck and Little Golight1ys
hired-and he's plumb in the seventh heaven.
He joins in everythn the big men do and he
gets to be respected among EN- for all he Is
small. And yet, in spite Of the glamour Of It,
he never quite gets to be one Of EN-. Because
at bottom Little Golightly's q thinker and q
knower. And Bender and his men-theyre
dOerS in q time Of doers
Also they're's some pretty wild things done
on that river between those rival crews and
Little Golightly sees some Of 'em and they don't
make him feel right. He don't take part IN
'em-but he sees em done and can't stop EN-.
And after that the mere glory Of bein river
man starts to fade for him.
STux. he might have gone On . long while
yet-"Hel" Bender's private schoIar-n
there hadn't been q girl.
The girls name was Arna Thorne and she's
rixer-born ana river-bred Her uncle kept the
big tavern down below Curriers' Bend.
There's river kings enough that's wanted TO
steal her from odd man Thorne ever since she
was man-grOwed- Thorne. he's canny
and he amt goin' to lose the girl that brings
So he plays on enc against the other-"F4en"
Bender against 'Izardax" BoIand
Sometimes it seems as II Bender had the call
and sometimes "Hardaxe"-bus notkin.s ever
decided-and Th0rne uses al his canntness TO
ward on finish fight And there's more to It
than his canninexs. For while neither Bender
nor Boland Is exactly scared Of any man alive.
they know well enough that II they ever do
come to grips with each other personal the man
that's licked won't be able to hold up his head
again And that's the way It Is when Little
Golghtly steps into the game.
He sees Arna FIRST one night when all BEN
der,s crew is celebrRtin' at Thorne's Tavern.
And its Bender that introduces them.
= 'Bender's drinkin'-but not 50 heavy-in o