Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1940-02-08
CHAPTER XII


not so sober as he should be. Facing
him sat Sergeant Stoddart, weary
from a days work surveying the
| river.
Norwood dismounted near the
horse-line, issued sharply detailed
| orders about the care of his horse
and strobe toward the tent:
~ will send for you when I want
you, Stoddart. Come here, O'Leary."
Norwood's servant removed his
riding boots and produced whiskey
and soda. Norwood drank. O'Leary
watched him drink. Norwood light
ed a cigarette, smoked half of it,
and then spoke to O'Leary:
"Now then. Sit down on that box
and begin. Omit the introduction.
Tell the news"
CTS bad, not good, news" said
O'Leary. "Might have got some
good news if I'd had more money.
Good news comes expensive oftener
than not. What I'm tellin' you now,
I'd tell to Father Manoel, on Bonded
knees, and none but him and Saint
Antonio to hear me. So get it first
time. If have to say it twice over,
might get muddled. I'm drunk, on
account of having had to drink cheap
liquor. Seeing it was your response
bility, and none O. mine, me being
under your orders, went gambling.
Cock-fghts. I lost little money to
a man who don't know cock-fighting
from puss-in-the-corner. But he's
runner for the layers of odds who'd
bet you you don't know your own
name. And they'd make money do
ing it. But there weren't much
news there.
'Never mind the details of your
bet. Tell your story"
II betted five rupees. The insid-
ers are offering five to one that the
Maharajah won't live the week out.
I betted he will"
"Why?"
IF me and you weren't on the
job, I'd hedge. 1t was woman
told me why the odds are five to
one he'll die within a week. She
was as drunk as Bombay crow,
and she told me who's taking the
five to one, same as did, only for
different reason. I asked her,
and she laughed like hyena-'
"Never mind what she did. What
did she tell your"
'She didn't tell me nothin'. She
asked questions. If the Maharajah
should die, who would come to the
throne? Who owes a lakh of rupees
and has promised to pay when he
comes to the throne? Whose credi-
tors have threatened to appeal to
the British Resident? Whose aunt,
being angry with him, this very day
refused him money with which to
pay off his creditors?"
"That sounds like palace gossip"
said Norwood.
II could tell you more than that,
that's happened in the palace" said
O'Leary. They're betting even
money that the Maharajah will be
dead by midnight tonight"
Norwood threw his cigarette
away.
go on with your story"
cts string O. questions, not
story. When they tell you a thing
in plain words, faint true-ever.
Here's question: if the heir to a
throne should owe you money, and
you'd get paid if he comes to the
throne along O. someone dying; and
the odds was five to one that the
someone would die within a week;
wouldn't you bet heavy against
his dying, so that if he didn't die,
you'd get some money anyhow?
That's what Rundhia's creditors are
doing. If the Maharajah dies, and
Rundhia comes to the throne, they'll
get paid. And if the Maharajah
doesn't die, they'll win their bet.
You get that?'
"What else did you hear?"
O'Leary stepped outside the tent.
"You amt goin' to like this one!"
"Come back, you fool. Sit down.
Now, tell it,
Naming no names. Everybody
says Rundhia stopped a wallop on
the snout from her that kept the
doctor busy for half hour. That's
all. I didn't hear nothing else what
ever. Not enough money. l spent
what / had like paymaster-gen-
eral. What's that you have IN your
hand?"
"Get me dog and we'll find out.
It's some of Mrs. Harding's food"
"There amt no dog in camp, bar
ring that cur of Stoddart's. Stoddart
keeps him tied up, on account O.
his having bit the cook. Stoddart
don't favor the cook, he amt that
stupid. But if the cook gets hydro
phobia, we'll all be biting one an
other and,
Bring the brute here"
"You mean the cook or Steddart?"
1.-THE dog"
80 Norwood sat smoking and frown-
ing until O'Leary came towing the
dog, at the end of a length of in
sulated wire. 1t was a mean-looking
brute with pale blue eyes, a vaga-
bond stink in it's gait, and an insatia-
BILE void in its belly. The sight of
any kind of food excited the ami
NAL. He pricked his ears. Nor.
wood tossed him the piece of toast.