United States or Austria ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"It wad flee nae mair nor a deid deuke i' this weather. It wad be frozen as stiff's a buird." "Ye gowk! Do ye think fowk wash their flags afore they hing them oot, like sarks or sheets? Dinna ye be ower clever, Curly, my man." Whereupon Curly shut up. "What are you in such a state about, Alec?" asked his mother. "Nothing very particular, mamma," answered Alec, ashamed of his want of self-command.
Scattering the people aside Aspel sprang on the bulwarks at the bow, and, snatching Mr Stiff's travelling-cap from his head, held it up as a signal to the men on shore. Well did the youth know what to do in the circumstances, for many a time had he talked it over with the men of the coastguard in former days. On receiving an answering signal from the shore he began to haul on the rocket-line.
She had urged her to the top of her strength. Nevertheless she was still in excellent condition. To the westward the sky was overcast in a manner such as Beth had never seen, with a dark, copperous storm-head that massed itself prodigiously above the range. Already she had come to three branchings of the road and chosen her way in confidence, according to Billy Stiff's directions.
Government railway bond issues, franchises and stock-quotations were beyond that cheap stiff's depth. Probably Cranston was holding forth in regard to some petty theft which his crew of spotters had discovered, some ticket-scalping conductor
At the first swoop the stiff's money and jewellery go. Then the kids sit around their victim in a sort of pow-wow. A kid generates a fancy for the stiff's necktie. Off it comes. Another kid is after underclothes. Off they come, and a knife quickly abbreviates arms and legs. Friendly hoboes may be called in to take the coat and trousers, which are too large for the kids.
"So, my friend, it follows as the night the day that Demarest, Spruce & Tillou will eventually move in with their heaviest-hitting outfit to run that cut, which certainly will be left on their hands. It follows as the night the day, again, that the leeches who always drift in to get the stiff's pay day away from them will settle near the biggest camp, if there's sufficient water.
"Gangsters?" I queried. "That's what. But I'll trim their dirty hides. I'll trim 'em. Mr. Pathurst, this voyage ain't started yet, and this old stiff's a long way from his last legs. I'll give them a run for their money. Why, I've buried better men than the best of them aboard this craft. And I'll bury some of them that think me an old stiff."
"Yes, by Heaven," cried Gourlay, "I can see it all, I can see it all that fellow standing at the helm, frozen white and as stiff's an icicle!" Yet, do what he might, he was unable to fill more than half a dozen small pages. He hesitated whether he should send them in, and held them in his inky fingers, thinking he would burn them. He was full of pity for his own inability.
There's not much doing at the ranch just now, so, if you've no objection, I'll put Silver along with your team and come with you. As you say we've simply got to get this fellow, somehow." "Thank ye, Mr. Gully," responded Slavin gratefully, "betune th' bunch av us we shud nail th' shtiff all right." "Should!" agreed the magistrate, enigmatically, "'stiff's' the word for him."
Word Of The Day