The Oakdale Affair | Page 7

Nature, which is principally dirt.
"Shake hands with Dopey Charlie," said The Sky Pi- lot, whose age and corpulency
appeared to stamp him with the hall mark of authority. The youth did as he was bid,
smiling into the sullen, chalk-white face and taking the clammy hand extended toward
him. Was it a shudder that passed through the lithe, young figure or was it merely a
subconscious recognition of the final pass- ing of the bodily cold before the glowing
warmth of the blaze? "And Soup Face," continued The Sky Pilot. A battered wreck half
rose and extended a pudgy hand. Red whiskers, matted in little tangled wisps which sug-
gested the dried ingredients of an infinite procession of semi-liquid refreshments, rioted
promiscuously over a scarlet countenance.
"Pleased to meetcha," sprayed Soup Face. It was a strained smile which twisted the rather
too perfect mouth of The Oskaloosa Kid, an appellation which we must, perforce, accept
since the youth did not deny it.
Columbus Blackie, The General, and Dirty Eddie were formally presented. As Dirty
Eddie was, physi- cally, the cleanest member of the band the youth won- dered how he
had come by his sobriquet--that is, he wondered until he heard Dirty Eddie speak, after
which he was no longer in doubt. The Oskaloosa Kid, self-con- fessed 'tramp' and burglar,
flushed at the lurid obscenity of Dirty Eddie's remarks.
"Sit down, bo," invited Soup Face. "I guess you're a regular all right. Here, have a
snifter?" and he pulled a flask from his side pocket, holding it toward The Os- kaloosa
Kid.
"Thank you, but;--er--I'm on the wagon, you know," declined the youth.
"Have a smoke?" suggested Columbus Blackie. "Here's the makin's."
The change in the attitude of the men toward him pleased The Oskaloosa Kid immensely.
They were treat- ing him as one of them, and after the lonely walk through the dark and
desolate farm lands human companionship of any kind was to him as the proverbial straw
to the man who rocked the boat once too often.
Dopey Charlie and The General, alone of all the company, waxed not enthusiastic over
the advent of The Oskaloosa Kid and his priceless loot. These two sat scowling and
whispering in the back-ground. "Dat's a wrong guy," muttered the former to the latter.
"He's a stool pigeon or one of dese amatoor mugs."
"It's the pullin' of that punk graft that got my goat," replied The General. "I never seen a
punk yet that didn't try to make you think he was a wise guy an' dis stiff don't belong
enough even to pull a spiel that would fool a old ladies' sewin' circle. I don't see wot The
Sky Pi- lot's cozyin' up to him fer."

"You don't?" scoffed Dopey Charlie. "Didn't you lamp de oyster harness? To say nothin'
of de mitful of rocks and kale."
"That 'ud be all right, too," replied the other, "if we could put the guy to sleep; but The
Sky Pilot won't never stand for croakin' nobody. He's too scared of his neck. We'll look
like a bunch o' wise ones, won't we? lettin' a stranger sit in now--after last night. Hell!" he
suddenly exploded. "Don't you know that you an' me stand to swing if any of de bunch
gets gabby in front of dis phoney punk?"
The two sat silent for a while, The General puffing on a short briar, Dopey Charlie
inhaling deep draughts from a cigarette, and both glaring through narrowed lids at the
boy warming himself beside the fire where the others were attempting to draw him out
the while they strove desperately but unavailingly to keep their eyes from the two bulging
sidepockets of their guest's coat.
Soup Face, who had been assiduously communing with a pint flask, leaned close to
Columbus Blackie, plac- ing his whiskers within an inch or so of the other's nose as was
his habit when addressing another, and whis- pered, relative to the pearl necklace: "Not a
cent less 'n fifty thou, bo!"
"Fertheluvomike!" ejaculated Blackie, drawing back and wiping a palm quickly across
his lips. "Get a plum- ber first if you want to kiss me--you leak."
"He thinks you need a shower bath," said Dirty Ed- die, laughing.
"The trouble with Soup Face," explained The Sky Pi- lot, "is that he's got a idea he's a
human atomizer an' that the rest of us has colds."
"Well, I don't want no atomizer loaded with rot-gut and garlic shot in my mug," growled
Blackie. "What Soup Face needs is to be learned ettyket, an' if he comes that on me again
I'm goin' to push his mush through the back of his bean."
An ugly light came into the blear eyes of Soup Face. Once again he leaned close