United States or Trinidad and Tobago ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The sound of angry voices came through the gloom, then out into the light came Still Bill Stover, Willie, and Carara, dragging between them a globular person who was rebelling loudly. "Stover, what is this?" questioned Miss Chapin, stepping to the edge of the veranda. "This gent stampedes in the midst of our welcome," explained the foreman, "so we have to rope him before he gets away."
What in the world " Still Bill Stover and Willie came into the room carrying an armful of lumber. Behind them followed Carara with a huge wooden tub, and Cloudy rolling a kerosene barrel. "Where do you want it, gents?" inquired the foreman. "Where do we want what?" "The shower-bath." "Shower I didn't order a shower-bath!" "No; but we aim to make it as pleasant for you as we can."
What I claim is this: we ain't got no proof. Fresno is stuck on Miss Blake, and he's a knocker." "Then let's git some proof, and dam' quick." "Si, Senores," agreed Carara, who had been an interested listener. "I agree with you, but we got to be careful " Willie grunted with disgust. " we can't go at it like we was killin' snakes. Mr. Speed is a guest here."
Carara bowed politely to Speed. "Good-morning again," said Wally. Turning to the trainer, Carara eyed him from top to toe, removed his cigarette, and flipped the ashes daintily from it; then, smiling disdainfully, said: "Buenos dias, Senor Fat!" Glass started. "You talkin' to me?" "Yes."
As they ranged themselves wearily about the statue, he rattled off his regular patter without pause or punctuation: "Here we have the far-famed Apollo Belvidere found about the middle of the fifteenth century at Frascati purchased by Pope Julius the Second restored by the great Michelangelo taken away by the French in 1797 but returned in 1815 made of Carara marble holding in his hand a portion of the bow with which he slew the Python observe please the beauty of the pose the realistic attitude of the limbs the noble and exalted expression of the face of Apollo Belvidere he being known also as Phoebus the god of oracles the god of music and medicine the son of Leto and Jupiter "
Carara turned the blade against himself, and traced a cross upon his front, whereupon the trainer gurgled and laid protecting hands upon his protruding abdomen. "You spik Spanish?" "No." Glass shook his head. "But you understan' w'at I try to say?" "Yes oh yes I'm hep all right." "And the Senor Fat will r-r-re-member?" "Sure!"
Even Cloudy, the Indian, relaxed and spoke at rare intervals, while Willie worked about the place gleefully, singing snatches of Sam Bass in a tuneless falsetto. Carara had come back from the Centipede with news that gladdened the hearts of his hearers: not only would that despicable outfit consent to run a foot-race, but they clamored for it.
Carara, for instance, breathed a Spanish oath as he combed his hair, and when the foreman inquired the reason, replied: "I don' sleep good. I been t'ink mebbe I lose my saddle on this footrace." Cloudy, whose toilet was much less intricate, grunted from the shadows: "I thought I heard that phonograph all night." "It was the Natif Son singin' to his gal," explained one of the hands.
"And you can cut out that 'Senor Fat, because it don't go " Then he gasped, for Carara slowly drew from inside his shirt a long, thin-bladed knife bearing marks of recent grinding, and his black eyes snapped. His face had become suddenly convulsed, while his voice rang with the tone of chilled metal.
Carara leaned languidly against the wall, took a match from his pocket, and dextrously struck it between the nails of his thumb and finger. He breathed his lungs full of smoke and exhaled it through his nose. "I would have spik to you biffore, but the Senor Fat is" he shrugged his shoulders "frighten' so bad he will not understan'. So I come back." "Who's scared?" said Glass, gruffly.
Word Of The Day