""Mergency rations," he whispered.
With a grunt of satisfaction, Mose handed three pork chops to Lankyshanks, wired his own three to his broiler, stirred up the fire, then began slowly revolving the sputtering chops over the sparkling embers.
For fully five minutes Pant and s...o...b..ll, on the sand pile, watched in silence--a silence broken only by an occasional, half audible sigh from s...o...b..ll.
The chops were done to a brown finish when Pant suddenly fixed his gaze intently upon the big dipper which hung high in the heavens.
At that precise instant, Mose, uttering a groan not unlike that of a dying man, threw his broiler high in air, rolled over backward, turned two somersaults, then stumbling to his feet, ran wildly down the beach.
Having dropped his chops on the coals, Lanky followed close behind. The expression of utter terror written on their faces was something to see and marvel at.
Pant still gazed skyward. s...o...b..ll gripped his arm, and whispered tensely:
"Lawdy, Mister! Look"a dere!"
Pant removed his gaze from the heavens and looked where s...o...b..ll pointed, at the bed of dying embers.
"What was it, s...o...b..ll?" he drawled. "Why! Where are our friends?"
"Dey done lef"," whispered s...o...b..ll, still gripping his arm. "An" so "ud you. It"s a ha"nt, er a sign, er sumthin". Blood. It was red, lak blood.
All red. Dem fellers was red, an" dem po"k chops, an" dat sand, all red lak blood."
"Pork chops," said Pant slowly.
"Yes, sir, po"k chops an" everything. I done heard dat Mose say it were a sign. Dey"s be a circus wreck, er sumthin". Train wreck of dat dere circus."
"Pork chops," said Pant again thoughtfully. "Where did the pork chops go?
Why! There is one broiler full on the wood pile. They must have left it there for you."
"No, sir! Dat Mose done throwed it dere. Dat"s how scared he was."
"They won"t be back, I guess; so you"d better just warm them up a bit and sit up to the table."
Terror still lurked in s...o...b..ll"s eyes, but in his nostrils still lingered the savory smell of pork chops. The pork chops won out and he was soon feasting royally.
"s...o...b..ll," said Pant when the feast was finished, "would you like to earn a little money?"
"Would I? Jes" try me, Mister!"
"All right. I want five Liberty Bonds, the fifty-dollar kind. A lot of those circus fellows have them, and some of them will sell them, maybe cheap. Don"t pay more than forty-five for any. Get them for thirty-nine, if you can. The cheap ones are the kind I want. Here"s the money. Don"t bet it, don"t lose it, and don"t let any of those crooks touch you for it. It will take you a little time to find the bonds. I"ll meet you right here in two hours."
s...o...b..ll rolled his eyes. "Boss, I sho" am grateful fo" th" compliment, but I is plum scared at all dat money."
"n.o.body"ll hurt you or take it from you. You"re honest. If you do lose it, I"ll forgive you. Good-by."
Pant strode rapidly down the beach, leaving s...o...b..ll to make his way back to the circus grounds in quest of thirty-nine dollar Liberty Bonds, an article which, if he had but known it, has never existed in legitimate channels of business.
CHAPTER IV "PALE FACE BONDS"
After leaving Pant, s...o...b..ll divided the money he had been given for the purpose of purchasing Liberty Bonds into five little rolls. These he deposited in five different pockets about his ragged trousers and coat.
"Dere now," he muttered; "dey won"t n.o.body s.n.a.t.c.h it all from me at oncet."
He first wandered down the back ropes, accosting here and there a colored gentleman who looked as if he might be the proud possessor of a bond.
Some laughed at this bullet-headed youngster, who claimed to be in possession of enough money to purchase a "sho" nuff" Liberty Bond.
Others, with prying eyes, leered at his pockets. These he gave a wide berth. An hour of this sort of thing netted him two bonds at forty-two dollars each.
"Huh," he grunted at last, "these here colored circus folks sho" am plum short on Liberty Bonds. Reckon I"se gwine try some white mans."
Making his way boldly out to the front of the circus, where a thin crowd filtered in and out, here and there, some few drifting into the side shows, he made straight for a man in uniform who guarded the entrance to the big tent.
"Say, Mister, you all got any Liberty Bonds to sell?"
"Liberty Bonds?" The man started and stared. "Who wants "em?"
"Me. I do, Mister."
"Say!" The man bent low and whispered. "You see that man selling tickets in front of the big side show, by the picture of the fat lady?"
"Uh-huh."
"He"s got some. Bought them this morning, cheap. Mebbe he"ll sell them to you."
"Thank ye, Mister."
s...o...b..ll was away like a flash.
"Liberty Bonds?" said the ticket hawker of the black mustache. "How many?"
"I might buy one, if it"s cheap, mebbe."
"How cheap?"
"How much you all want?"
"Forty dollars."
s...o...b..ll shook his head, "Thirty-nine. That"s all I"m payin" jes" now."
His hand was in his right trousers pocket.
"Let"s see yer money."
s...o...b..ll stepped back a discreet distance, then displayed two twenty-dollar bills.