My one idea to
regain the MSS. I landed on my shoulders, saw stars, rolled over and
over. I groped up and down. And tears rained from my eyes when I
understood those rhymes were lost forever....
It was midnight before I caught another freight. I climbed wearily into
an empty box car while the freight was standing still. I was seen. A
brakeman came to the door and lifted up his lantern, glancing within, I
was crouching, wet and forlorn, in a corner of the car, waiting for the
freight to be under way.
"Come on out with you! Hit the grit!" commanded the "shack" grimly.
I rose. I came to the door. I hated him in my heart, but quite simply
and movingly I recited the story of my imprisonment, ending by asking
him to let me ride, in the name of God.
He crunched away down the path, his lantern bobbing as he went.
* * * * *
All night long I rode ... bumpity-bump, bumpity-bump, bumpity-bump! All
night long my head was a-ferment with dreams of the great things I would
achieve, now that I was free of the shadow of imprisonment.
* * * * *
When I walked down the streets of Haberford once more, though I was
leathery and stronger-looking, my adventures had added no meat to my
bones. I was amused at myself as I walked along more than usually erect,
for no other reason than to keep my coat-tail well down in back in order
not to show the hole in the seat of my trousers.
Pages:
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232