Show D Lo 11 0 TODAY'S TODA YS Y'S SHORT STORY J Fiction by Americas America's cas ca's Greatest Writers tr t t U the th Frank w A. A do Ca Oa r FOR A DOLLAR BILL I By Alex Shell Briscoe I Tho night man in tho soiled white whito coat looked with disfavor upon tho unkempt figure that slouched Into the Acme Acme- lunchroom It Il was not that ho objected to the soiled s garb rb and unwashed person of ot tho the new customer railroad customer railroad freight train crows on their runs were his principal patrons patrons but but there was wac a something repellent about the thick bulk of ot the tho man studying the tho bill x Ot Hof f fare tare painted on the wallFrIed wallFried wall Fried Tried eggs sunny side up sinkers up-sinkers sinkers I coffee the man growled Tho once white whIto jacket moved to the I gas as stove 1 There came cam tho the sizzle of ot trying frying JIE grease Krease e. e From a steaming urn was drawn a cup of mu muddy d brow brew that passed as coffee The Tho cup that held it would have been a fearsome missile in a a. fight The Tho coffeo Cec a n. plate plato of or doughnuts and tho the C eggs g still sun sputtering and swimming In grease were placed on tho the counter then the lunchroom man who was cook waiter and part proprietor moved back to tho the cigar case and with tho the again Joined in conversation crew of tho westbound freight freight reSU regu regular lar customers Out of tho the corner of his eye he kept wary watch on tho the other patron He noticed the tho projecting collar that showed shoved tho the man was wearing two shirts the wrinkles that indicated the wearer of Ot the tho coat habitually did his sleeping without troubling to undress and summed up his estimate in tho the one ono word word- word The three railroad men had finished their meal and were m matching coins to see who should pa pay Larkin the front brakeman lost and s oro fluently as ashe ho he banged down a a a. silver dollar m my last bean until pay day I he said And theres there's no pickings these i da days s 's Haven't got a red in nights Nothing doing since the I yokels quit trying to beat their way n back from the tho harvest fields with all aU their wages Only h hobos bos riding now I and they'll pound ballast before they'll thell dl dig up a Jitney Larkin was in his length of or arm and breadth of chest and a wee weeks week's s growth of beard covered his roughhewn rough hewn chin and heavy jaw P Physically and mentally he ho and the theman theman theman man who sho had bad ordered eggs were of ot a type The Tho one ono difference was that Larkin L worked ked The others other's creed was that daily dally toll toil for a a. stipend was both distasteful and unnecessary I Tho The Cor for tho the lunchroom man I had correctly appraised him stuffed him stuffed his leis paper napkin in his pocket and fumbled in a pocket From an old tobacco pouch he lie drew forth a n. dollar bill a dime and a a. nickel Tho The coins ho he laid on the counter and as he did so 50 he na flashed red lcd a glance at It Larkin The The- look took from tram under his sullen brows brews was that of a vicious vicious' do dog disturbed gnawing a a. bone He Ho had overheard tho the railroad mans man's remark about hobos Frisco co Red hobo hater of ot work for tor mere wages and amI wanted by bythe bytho I Ithe the tho police of many cities clUes a few tew minutes minutes mint min min- utes t later sat In the shadow of a n. water tank waiting for tor or the tho two short blasts of or the locomotives locomotive's whistle that would warning No 9 was about to pull pullout out out Across the sky to tho the west cut the tho whito white lance lanco of the headlight of tho the fast t I mall mail for tor the passing of 01 which the tho freight had been laid out on the siding siding- A away awny the big big- mogul breathed as regularly as ns a a. child asleep Far I down the black length of the string of at cars lanterns flickered Red thought of L Larkins Larkin's remarks about h hobos bos and spat in contempt There came camo a crunch of gravel the waving gleam of a lantern and the shrank behind the tank recognizing the shadow exaggerated bulk erf of Larkin passing The fast train roared through and andRed andRed andRed Red stood erect A light described an arc far down toward tho the caboose a n. whistle sounded twice there e time t a hiss biss of steam as tho the brakes were released and a a. swiftly running chuckling of or couplings then wheels began besan to grind the ss L L the ss Red darted across tho narrow space and caught c. the tho ladder of a a- a box car He had no inclination to take to the rods for In a a. coat pocket carefully I wrapped in many of It paper was a a. bottle boUle of ot thick oily yellowish liquid nitroglycerin liquid nitroglycerin tho the soup of ot tho the I safe safo blower A few tew days before in I Kansas City when funds were low and Pete Pet ther the tho r lodging house keeper had hod begun to look upon him with unkindly eye eE ho he had received received a a. dingy from his side Ide kick lick one Happy Carmody The letter had told of an easy Job in Syracuse Old time box and no watchman It had read Could bust It with a 0 can opener and two thousand five hundred dollars In it every overy Friday night to cash pay pa checks cheeks And so 60 Red was on his way to meet his partner carrying with him tho the things necessary for the Job Among them were his gat a 0 bulldog re revolver re- re volver heavy T of caliber and short of ot barrel barrel barrel-a. a Jew gun ugly and dangerous dangerous dangerous dan dan- as himself In appearance Happy was to meet him in Dodge Cit City fifty miles from the tho junction where here ho he had visited the tho lunchroom and Ild time was precious It was wasI i I Wednesday night and he should be bo in inI I I Dodge City the next day The long train clattered and pounded over oyer the frogs to the mam line ant and andRed Red cautiously thrust his head hlad over the top of ot the tho car A light flashed flashe in his eyes and a aI I harsh voice greeted him On top of the tho swaying car Larkin thru thrust t a a. lantern into his face Thought so RO said tho the brakeman I with satisfaction Now pon pony up wIth that that dollar bill if you want to ride rido with i I me me others other's face was as stolid Broke pal ho he said Bald Forget the stall camo came the tho savage ngo snarl marl of ot Larkin I saw save you flash I It In tho lunchroom Kick In in HI His voice was a menace With a a- quick movement R Red d reached roache tho the broke braito wheel a a. strategic lc position n RM as It would Would afford a a hand hold in case cas of a a. fight on tho the narrow TOO roof Nothing doln doing he said flatly Larkin raged but to attack r I Fear was an emotion he lie did not kno know Ui possessed caution enough not to force an encounter that hardly could end crill in anything but both falling from tho the train I IFor For a n moment lie he studied the face taco of the other lit but there ro was no sign of ot yielding in Reds Red's face customer are you you OU 1 ho jeered Well Bill you'll oun get off per and walk at tho the ne next t tank town and he turned away striding forward toward the tho engine The squealing of protesting brake t does j n and tho Jolting as tho the cars slackened slackened slackened slack slack- ened speed warned Red tho the train was stopping half an hour later and when it camo came to a panting pause pauso ho was at atthe tho the bottom of the ladder ready to drop I A few yards out on tho the sagebrush 1 covered plain ho lay flat fiat watching tho the lanterns that told of the tho search for tor him Larkin and the tho rear brakeman combed tho the train in vain and Red face faco contorted in a n. diabolical grin as ho heard tho the formers former's futile and ob- ob comments Again tho the train started and he went along this time catching tho rods un under under under un- un der an empty cattle car Riding the rods as a rule Is not distasteful to the seasoned hobo but Red had proper pr per respect r for tho the contents contents contents con con- tents of tho the bottle he ho carried Once underneath however thero there Is hardly any possible way of ot dislodging one and the chiman was fairly content content content con con- tent as ho settled himself across a a. brace braco and turned his face tace to shield it from flying gravel But Larkin had been on the tho watch and had marked tho the car under which ho had swung There Thero was a vindictive streak in tho the brakeman's soul and It wa was with a agrin agrin grin that boded trouble for tho the man on tho perilous perch underneath that he ho mado his bis is way to the car Ten minutes later Inter a now note In the metallic clamor around him aroused Red to action and he worked his way vay back over o the rods until near the swinging Stretching forth a no knotted fist he obtained a grip upon an iron brace A Al Alfoot foot below his body the tho roadbed fled b by A lurch that would tear him from his hold meant death but by bp a display of strength almost incredible he pulled himself across the gap from tho the rods to tho the beam There Ther crouching on tho the thick timber timber timber tim tim- ber ho strained his eyes squinted tim to avoid the dust striving to pierce tho the thoI gloom in which that bumping whirling pounding menace approached over ever closer I I Set a Do a drag for me damn him His Hi's i I was hoarse in mite its hate Ill Vet e him Ill I'll get him ho snarled Larkin had tied a n. coupling pin to I I the tie end of ot a n. length of wire ot-wire wire and lowered it t beneath the tho cars The heavy piece of or f metal rebounding from the ties banged against the rods and flooring above with shattering force Had Red remained on the rods he inevitably must have been knocked from rom his hold to fall tall under the greedy reedy wheels I Slowly Larkin let t ott tho the wire to tots its ts extreme length and as slowly drew it t back Then he hurled the tho drag from the train rain and settled himself for a long ride Under tho car Frisco Red bared his I teeth in a cornered dog smile as tho the flying lying pin approached within a foot toot of his perch and anel then receded Not enough h wire Damn him he said But Ill I'll get him for that While tho the train rumbled across tho the Kansas prairie Larkin sat with his heels dnn dangling lIng o fr over the edge of ot a car roof and lon longed cd for a clarette while I Irisco Yisco Red clinging to the I strove to protect his face tace from stinging sUng sting ing ng bits of ballast and nursed lurid thoughts of ot revenge Tho The freight stopped after a a. run of thirty miles mUe but Larkin did not even cven trouble rouble to investigate whether the man still sUll was wt under tho car Ho did not think it was n necessary When hen the train again was was' in motion motion mo- mo tion ion he ho had started toward the to o swap yarns arns with the cab cr crow crew w when a bulky figure scrambled up from the bumpers and barred his bis path It was Frisco Red The railroad man did not hesitate He did not need to be told what the theother's theother's theother's others other's Intentions were As Larkin paused tho the fireman opened the engine furnace door doo and the glare that flashed down dOn the length of or the tho train gleamed on a n. weapon weaPon Th vengeful man was hardly a n. dozen steps awu away To run merely would Invite a n. bullet bulletIn In tho back and the tho brakeman was tho the sort who prefer their wounds from the front He Ire jumped forward and the weapon spoke A sudden lurch of the c car r sent the tho bullet wide but the tho gun n again spat firo fire in Larkins Larkin's face and ho felt a asUng asting asting sting sUng in his shoulder Tho The was firing rapidly the spurts of flame from his weapon seemingly scorching the others other's clothing He Ho was too close to miss Larkin knew mew he had been hit hit badly perhaps fa fatally taU but such was his tremendous vitality h hi brute courage courage courage cour cour- age that he kept advancing ad They now but a n. few tew paces apart Frisco Tisco Red Hed his pistol empty threw It in the others other's face and they clinched Back and forth across the tho heaving car top they struggled two struggled two vicious animals gone sone mad with rage Larkins Larkin's left arm was about tho the neck iron fingers seeking his windpipe Reds Red's flailing blows pulped the brakeman's face tace- he twisted his knee back of the others other's leg and I I I I I I they fell teU Half Halt the lerith lenth lert th of ot the car they rolled twisting straining heavy fists battering and thick fingers rs clawing gouging The brakeman volleyed curses I Larkin was the better wrestler One of his long arms crept across the theother's theother's others other's back and caught a wrist Iri Irl Irian Irian Irlan an Instant Red was pinned flat fiat on his face and his antagonist was shouting profane triumph Then with a grinding of wheel flanges No 9 took a sharp curve Two grappling ti figures ures rolled of off tho the roof root Into the darkness Red fell tell underneath square on the bottle boUlo in his coat pocket There was as a flash a splitting roar A box hox car heaved its trucks left h ho rails ralls The cars behind plowed Into It The was filled with crash and shiver of splintering wood the rending of ot steel as the train pulled up Its funny about that wreck ob observed observed ob- ob served ened McCarty conductor of No 9 a afew afew few tew nights later in tho the Acme lunchroom lunch lunch- room We Ye never could find rind Larkin His hat and his busted lantern were picked up a mile down the tracks along alongI with a gun but hut there was never a aI trace of him |