“Get up, Dirty Shirt Jones,” says I. “What kind of a way is that to
act?”
Dirty weaves to his feet and stumbles over to me.
“Ike, thank the Lord, we’re alive!”
“Don’t presume too much. Medical science says that a man can live after
losin’ a certain amount of skin, but I’m bettin’ I’ve passed that
certain limit. Let’s sneak home and save what life we’ve got left.”
We sneaked around the Mint Hall and Wick’s store, and at the corner we
stumbles into somebody.
“Who goes there?” asks Dirty.
“Go ----!” wails Magpie Simpkins. “Help me, will yuh? I wrastled all the
way down here with one of them ---- sheep and now I’m afraid to let
loose.”
“You and your ---- atmosphere!” groans Dirty.
“I’m settin’ on it,” wails Magpie, “I’ve got a kink in my neck. Will yuh
hold it down until I can get up?”