The Mucker | Page 6

next man who evinced even mute wonderment at
his presence what was eating him.
Then Billy saw a harness bull strolling toward him from the east. It was
Lasky. When Lasky saw Billy he too opened his eyes in surprise, and
when be came quite close to the mucker he whispered something to
him, though he kept his eyes straight ahead as though he had not seen,
Billy at all.
In deference to the whispered request Billy presently strolled around
the corner toward Walnut Street, but at the alley back of the saloon he
turned suddenly in. A hundred yards up the alley he found Lasky in the
shadow of a telephone pole.
"Wotinell are you doin' around here? asked the patrolman. "Didn't you
know that Sheehan had peached?"
Two nights before old man Schneider, goaded to desperation by the
repeated raids upon his cash drawer, had shown fight when he again
had been invited to elevate his hands, and the holdup men had shot him
through the heart. Sheehan had been arrested on suspicion.
Billy had not been with Sheehan that night. As a matter of fact he never
had trained with him, for, since the boyish battle that the two had
waged, there had always been ill feeling between them; but with
Lasky's words Billy knew what had happened.

"Sheehan says I done it, eh?" he questioned.
"That's what he says."
"I wasn't within a mile of Schneider's that night," protested Billy.
"The Lieut thinks different," said Lasky. "He'd be only too glad to soak
you; for you've always been too slick to get nicked before. Orders is out
to get you, and if I were you I'd beat it and beat it quick. I don't have to
tell you why I'm handing you this, but it's all I can do for you. Now
take my advice and make yourself scarce, though you'll have to go
some to make your get-away now--every man on the force has your
description by this time."
Billy turned without a word and walked east in the alley toward
Lincoln Street. Lasky returned to Robey Street. In Lincoln Street Billy
walked north to Kinzie. Here he entered the railroad yards. An hour
later he was bumping out of town toward the West on a fast freight.
Three weeks later he found himself in San Francisco. He had no money,
but the methods that had so often replenished his depleted exchequer at
home he felt would serve the same purpose here.
Being unfamiliar with San Francisco, Billy did not know where best to
work, but when by accident he stumbled upon a street where there were
many saloons whose patrons were obviously seafaring men Billy was
distinctly elated. What could be better for his purpose than a drunken
sailor?
He entered one of the saloons and stood watching a game of cards, or
thus he seemed to be occupied. As a matter of fact his eyes were
constantly upon the alert, roving, about the room to wherever a man
was in the act of paying for a round of drinks that a fat wallet might be
located.
Presently one that filled him with longing rewarded his careful watch.
The man was sitting at a table a short distance from Billy. Two other
men were with him. As he paid the waiter from a well-filled
pocketbook he looked up to meet Billy's eyes upon him.

With a drunken smile he beckoned to the mucker to join them. Billy
felt that Fate was overkind to him, and he lost no time in heeding her
call. A moment later he was sitting at the table with the three sailors,
and had ordered a drop of red-eye.
The stranger was very lavish in his entertainment. He scarcely waited
for Billy to drain one glass before he ordered another, and once after
Billy had left the table for a moment he found a fresh drink awaiting
him when he returned--his host had already poured it for him.
It was this last drink that did the business.
CHAPTER II
SHANGHAIED
WHEN Billy opened his eyes again he could not recall, for the instant,
very much of his recent past. At last he remembered with painful regret
the drunken sailor it had been his intention to roll. He felt deeply
chagrined that his rightful prey should have escaped him. He couldn't
understand how it had happened.
"This Frisco booze must be something fierce," thought Billy.
His head ached frightfully and he was very sick. So sick that the room
in which he lay seemed to be rising and falling in a horribly realistic
manner. Every time it dropped it brought Billy's stomach nearly to his
mouth.
Billy shut his eyes. Still the awful sensation. Billy groaned. He never
had been so sick in