the american claimant-第6章

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Washington；　within　three　daysten　at　the　outsideyou　shall　see　me　call
the　dead　of　any　century；　and　they　will　arise　and　walk。　　Walk？they　shall
walk　forever；　and　never　die　again。　　Walk　with　all　the　muscle　and　spring
of　their　pristine　vigor。〃

〃Colonel！　　Indeed　it　does　take　one's　breath　away。〃

〃Now　do　you　see　the　money　that's　in　it？〃

〃I'mwell；　I'mnot　really　sure　that　I　do。〃

Great　Scott；　look　here。　　I　shall　have　a　monopoly；　they'll　all　belong　to
me；　won't　they？　　Two　thousand　policemen　in　the　city　of　New　York。　　Wages；
four　dollars　a　day。　　I'll　replace　them　with　dead　ones　at　half　the　money。

〃Oh；　prodigious！　　I　never　thought　of　that。　　F…o…u…r　thousand　dollars　a
day。　　Now　I　do　begin　to　see！　　But　will　dead　policemen　answer？〃

〃Haven't　theyup　to　this　time？〃

〃Well；　if　you　put　it　that　way〃

〃Put　it　any　way　you　want　to。　　Modify　it　to　suit　yourself；　and　my　lads
shall　still　be　superior。　　They　won't　eat；　they　won't　drinkdon't　need
those　things；　they　won't　wink　for　cash　at　gambling　dens　and　unlicensed
rum…holes；　they　won't　spark　the　scullery　maids；　and　moreover　the　bands　of
toughs　that　ambuscade　them　on　lonely　beats；　and　cowardly　shoot　and　knife
them　will　only　damage　the　uniforms　and　not　live　long　enough　to　get　more
than　a　momentary　satisfaction　out　of　that。〃

〃Why；　Colonel；　if　you　can　furnish　policemen；　then　of　course〃

〃CertainlyI　can　furnish　any　line　of　goods　that's　wanted。　　Take　the
army；　for　instancenow　twenty…five　thousand　men；　expense；　twenty…two
millions　a　year。　　I　will　dig　up　the　Romans；　I　will　resurrect　the　Greeks；
I　will　furnish　the　government；　for　ten　millions　a　year；　ten　thousand
veterans　drawn　from　the　victorious　legions　of　all　the　agessoldiers　that
will　chase　Indians　year　in　and　year　out　on　materialized　horses；　and　cost
never　a　cent　for　rations　or　repairs。　　The　armies　of　Europe　cost　two
billions　a　year　nowI　will　replace　them　all　for　a　billion。　　I　will　dig
up　the　trained　statesmen　of　all　ages　and　all　climes；　and　furnish　this
country　with　a　Congress　that　knows　enough　to　come　in　out　of　the　rain
a　thing　that's　never　happened　yet；　since　the　Declaration　of　Independence；
and　never　will　happen　till　these　practically　dead　people　are　replaced
with　the　genuine　article。　　I　will　restock　the　thrones　of　Europe　with　the
best　brains　and　the　best　morals　that　all　the　royal　sepulchres　of　all　the
centuries　can　furnishwhich　isn't　promising　very　muchand　I'll　divide
the　wages　and　the　civil　list；　fair　and　square；　merely　taking　my　half
and〃

〃Colonel；　if　the　half　of　this　is　true；　there's　millions　in　itmillions。〃

〃Billions　in　itbillions；　that's　what　you　mean。　　Why；　look　here；　the
thing　is　so　close　at　hand；　so　imminent；　so　absolutely　immediate；　that　if
a　man　were　to　come　to　me　now　and　say；　Colonel；　I　am　a　little　short；　and
if　you　could　lend　me　a　couple　of　billion　dollars　for　come　in！〃

This　in　answer　to　a　knock。　　An　energetic　looking　man　bustled　in　with　a
big　pocket…book　in　his　hand；　took　a　paper　from　it　and　presented　it；　with
the　curt　remark：

〃Seventeenth　and　last　callyou　want　to　out　with　that　three　dollars　and
forty　cents　this　time　without　fail；　Colonel　Mulberry　Sellers。〃

The　Colonel　began　to　slap　this　pocket　and　that　one；　and　feel　here　and
there　and　everywhere；　muttering：

〃What　have　I　done　with　that　wallet？let　me　seeumnot　here；　not　there
Oh；　I　must　have　left　it　in　the　kitchen；　I'll　just　run　and〃

〃No　you　won'tyou'll　stay　right　where　you　are。　　And　you're　going　to
disgorge；　toothis　time。〃

Washington　innocently　offered　to　go　and　look。　　When　he　was　gone　the
Colonel　said：

〃The　fact　is；　I've　got　to　throw　myself　on　your　indulgence　just　this　once
more；　Suggs；　you　see　the　remittances　I　was　expecting〃

〃Hang　the　remittancesit's　too　staleit　won't　answer。　　Come！〃

The　Colonel　glanced　about　him　in　despair。　　Then　his　face　lighted；　he　ran
to　the　wall　and　began　to　dust　off　a　peculiarly　atrocious　chromo　with　his
handkerchief。　　Then　he　brought　it　reverently；　offered　it　to　the
collector；　averted　his　face　and　said：

〃Take　it；　but　don't　let　me　see　it　go。　　It's　the　sole　remaining　Rembrandt
that〃

〃Rembrandt　be　damned；　it's　a　chromo。〃

〃Oh；　don't　speak　of　it　so；　I　beg　you。　　It's　the　only　really　great
original；　the　only　supreme　example　of　that　mighty　school　of　art　which〃

〃Art！　　It's　the　sickest　looking　thing　I〃

The　colonel　was　already　bringing　another　horror　and　tenderly　dusting　it。

〃Take　this　one　toothe　gem　of　my　collectionthe　only　genuine　Fra
Angelico　that〃

〃Illuminated　liverpad；　that's　what　it　is。　　Give　it　heregood　day
people　will　think　I've　robbed　a'　nigger　barber…shop。〃

As　he　slammed　the　door　behind　him　the　Colonel　shouted　with　an　anguished
accent

Do　please　cover　them　updon't　let　the　damp　get　at　them。　　The　delicate
tints　in　the　Angelico〃

But　the　man　was　gone。

Washington　re…appeared　and　said　he　had　looked　everywhere；　and　so　had　Mrs。
Sellers　and　the　servants；　but　in　vain；　and　went　on　to　say　he　wished　he
could　get　his　eye　on　a　certain　man　about　this　timeno　need　to　hunt　up
that　pocket…book　then。　　The　Colonel's　interest　was　awake　at　once。

〃What　man？〃

〃One…armed　Pete　they　call　him　out　thereout　in　the　Cherokee　country　I
mean。　　Robbed　the　bank　in　Tahlequah。〃

〃Do　they　have　banks　in　Tahlequah？〃

〃Yesa　bank；　anyway。　　He　was　suspected　of　robbing　it。　　Whoever　did　it
got　away　with　more　than　twenty　thousand　dollars。　　They　offered　a　reward
of　five　thousand。　　I　believe　I　saw　that　very　man；　on　my　way　east。〃

〃Nois　that　so？

〃I　certainly　saw　a　man　on　the　train；　the　first　day　I　struck　the　railroad；
that　answered　the　description　pretty　exactlyat　least　as　to　clothes　and
a　lacking　arm。〃

〃Why　don't　you　get　him　arrested　and　claim　the　reward？〃

〃I　couldn't。　　I　had　to　get　a　requisition；　of　course。　　But　I　meant　to　stay
by　him　till　I　got　my　chance。〃

〃Well？〃

〃Well；　he　left　the　train　during　the　night　some　time。〃

〃Oh；　hang　it；　that's　too　bad。〃

〃Not　so　very　bad；　either。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because　he　came　down　to　Baltimore　in　the　very　train　I　was　in；　though　I
didn't　know　it　in　time。　　As　we　moved　out　of　the　station　I　saw　him　going
toward　the　iron　gate　with　a　satchel　in　his　hand。〃

〃Good；　we'll　catch　him。　　Let's　lay　a　plan。〃

〃Send　description　to　the　Baltimore　police？〃

〃Why；　what　are　you　talking　about？　　No。　　Do　you　want　them　to　get　the
reward？〃

〃What　shall　we　do；　then？〃

The　Colonel　reflected。

〃I'll　tell　you。　　Put　a　personal　in　the　Baltimore　Sun。　　Word　it　like　this：

　　　　　A。　DROP　ME　A　LINE；　PETE。

〃Hold　on。　　Which　arm　has　he　lost？〃

〃The　right。〃

〃Good。　　Now　then

A。　DROP　ME　A　LINE；　PETE；　EVEN　IF　YOU　HAVE　to　write　with　your　left　hand。
Address　X。　Y。　Z。；　General　Postoffice；　Washington。　　From　YOU　KNOW　WHO。

〃There…　that'll　fetch　him。〃

〃But　he　won't　know　whowill　he？〃

〃No；　but　he'll　want　to　know；　won't　he？〃

〃Why；　certainlyI　didn't　think　of　that。　　What　made　you　think　of　it？〃

〃Knowledge　of　human　curiosity。　　Strong　trait；　very　strong　trait。〃

〃Now　I'll　go　to　my　room　and　write　it　out　and　enclose　a　dollar　and　tell
them　to　print　it　to　the　worth　of　that。〃




CHAPTER　IV。

The　day　wore　itself　out。　　After　dinner　the　two　friends　put　in　a　long　and
harassing　evening　trying　to　decide　what　to　do　with　the　five　thousand
dollars　reward　which　they　were　going　to　get　when　they　should　find　One…
Armed　Pete；　and　catch　him；　and　prove　him　to　be　the　right　person；　and
extradite　him；　and　ship　him　to　Tahlequah　in　the　Indian　Territory。　　But
there　were　so　many　dazzling　openings　for　ready　cash　that　they　found　it
impossible　to　make　up　their　minds　and　keep　them　made　up。　　Finally；　Mrs。
Sellers　grew　very　weary　of　it　all；　and　said：

〃What　is　the　sense　in　cooking　a　rabbit　before　it's　caught？〃

Then　the　matter　was　dropped；　for　the　time　being；　and　all　went　to　bed。
Next　morning；　being　persuaded　by　Hawkins；　the　colonel　made　drawings　and
specifications　and　went　down　and　applied　for　a　patent　for　his　toy　puzzle；
and　Hawkins　took　the　toy　itself　and　started　out　to　see　what　chance　there
might　be　to　do　something　with　it　commercially。　　He　did　not　have　to　go
far。　　In　a　small　old　wooden　shanty　which　had　once　been　occupied　as　a
dwelling　by　some　humble　negro　family　he　found　a　keen…eyed　Yankee　engaged
in　repairing　cheap　chairs　and　other　sec