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take   a   square…face   along   to   refresh   himself   by   the   way;   while   I   was   set 

against running any chance of wasting the gin。 Besides; he had more than 

he could carry then; and he wobbled and staggered as he walked。 

     〃Same   thing;   only  there   was   a   whole   lot   of   him  left   for   me   to   bury; 

because he'd prepared only half a stick。             I managed to last it out till next 

day; when; after duly fortifying myself; I got sufficient courage to tackle 

the dynamite。       I used only a third of a stick … you know; short fuse; with 

the   end   split   so   as   to   hold   the   head   of   a   safety   match。 That's   where   I 

mended my predecessors' methods。 Not using the match…head; they'd too… 

long fuses。      Therefore; when they spotted a school of mullet; and lighted 

the fuse; they  had to   hold the  dynamite till   the fuse burned short   before 

they threw it。 If they threw it too soon; it wouldn't go off the instant it hit 

the   water;   while   the   splash   of   it   would   frighten   the   mullet   away。   Funny 

stuff dynamite。       At any rate; I still maintain mine was the safer method。 

     〃I picked up a school of mullet before I'd been rowing five minutes。 

Fine big fat ones they were; and I could smell them over the fire。                  When I 

stood   up;   fire…stick   in   one   hand;   dynamite   stick   in   the   other;   my   knees 

were knocking together。          Maybe it was the gin; or the anxiousness; or the 

weakness and the hunger; and maybe it was the result of all of them; but at 

any rate I was all of a shake。          Twice I failed to touch the fire…stick to the 

dynamite。 Then I did; heard the match…head splutter; and let her go。 

     〃Now I don't know what happened to the others; but I know what I did。 

I   got  turned    about。    Did    you    ever   stem   a  strawberry     and   throw    the 

strawberry away and pop the stem into your mouth?                     That's what I did。 

I   threw   the   fire…stick   into   the   water   after   the   mullet   and   held   on   to   the 

dynamite。      And my arm went off with the stick when it went off。 。 。 。 〃 

     Slim investigated the tomato…can for water to mix himself a drink; but 

found it empty。       He stood up。 

     〃Heigh ho;〃 he yawned; and started down the path to the river。 

     In several minutes he was back。             He mixed the due quantity of river 



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                                      THE RED ONE 



slush with the alcohol; took a long; solitary drink; and stared with bitter 

moodiness into the fire。 

     〃Yes; but 。 。 。 〃 Fatty suggested。      〃What happened then?〃 

     〃Oh;〃 sad Slim。      〃Then the princess married me; of course。〃 

     〃But you were the only person left; and there wasn't any princess 。 。 。 〃 

Whiskers      cried   out   abruptly;    and   then   let  his   voice   trail  away     to 

embarrassed silence。 

     Slim stared unblinkingly into the fire。 

     Percival    Delaney     and   Chauncey      Delarouse     looked    at  each   other。 

Quietly; in solemn silence; each with his one arm aided the one arm of the 

other in rolling and tying his bundle。           And in silence; bundles slung on 

shoulders;  they  went   away  out   of   the   circle  of   firelight。  Not   until   they 

reached the top of the railroad embankment did they speak。 

     〃No gentleman would have done it;〃 said Whiskers。 

     〃No gentleman would have done it;〃 Fatty agreed。 



     Glen Ellen; California; SEPTEMBER 26; 1916。 



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