Every Man for Himself Part 19

"'Burn down!' I say. 'Oh, my! 'Tis sad. Have thee seven lobster-tin of gold be los'?'

"'All spoil,' they say.

"I am not theenk what they mean. 'Oh, dear!' I say. 'Where Skip' Jim?'

"'You fin' Skip' Jim at thee Skip' Bill Tissol's house.'

"'Oh, my!' I say. 'I am mos' sad. I am go geeve thee pit-ee to poor Skip' Jim.'"

The fog was fast thickening. We had come close to Skeleton Tickle; but the downcast cottages were more remote than they had been-infinitely more isolated.

"Ver' well. I am fin' Skip' Jim. He sit in thee bes' room of thee Skip'

Bill Tissol's house. All thee 'lone. G.o.d is good! n.o.body there. What have I see? Gold! Gold! The heap of gold! The beeg, beeg heap of gold! I am not can tell you!"

The man was breathing in gasps; in the pause his jaw dropped, his yellow eyes were distended.

"Ha!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. "So I am thank thee dear, good G.o.d I am not come thee too late. Gold! Gold! The heap of gold! I am pray ver' hard to be good business man. I am close thee eye an' pray thee good G.o.d I am be ver' good business man for one hour. 'Jus' one hour, O my G.o.d!' I pray.

'Leave me be ver', ver' good business man for jus' one leet-tle ver'

small hour. I am geeve one hun'red fifty to thee Orth'dox Church in Was.h.i.+n'ton Street, O my G.o.d,' I pray, 'if I be mos' ver' good business man for thee one hour!' An' I shake thee head an' look at thee rich ol'

Skip' Jim with thee ver' mos' awful sad look I am can.

"'Oh, Skip' Jim!' I say. 'Fear-r-ful! How have your house cotch thee fire?'

"'Thee boy of Skip' Elisha,' he say.

"'Oh, Skip' Jim,' I say, 'what have you do by thee wicked boy?'

"'What have I do?' he say. 'He cannot have mend thee bad business. What have I do? I am not wish thee hurt to thee poor, poor boy.'

"There sit thee beeg fool-thee ver' beeg fool-thee mos' fearful fool in all thee worl'. Ol' Skip' Jim All-thee beeg fool! There he sit, by thee 'lone; an' the heap of good gold is on thee table; an' the candle is burnin'; an' the beeg white wheesk-airs is ver' white an' mos' awful long; an' thee beeg han's is on thee gold, an' thee salt-sores from thee fees.h.i.+n' is on thee han's; an' thee tear is in thee ol' eyes of ol'

Skip' Jim All. So once more I pray thee good G.o.d to be made ver' good business man for thee one hour; an' I close thee door ver' tight.

"'Oh, Tom s.h.i.+va,' he says, 'I am ruin'!'

"'Ver' sad,' I say. 'Oh, dear!'

"'I am ruin'-ruin'!' he say. 'Oh, I am ruin'! What have I do?'

"'Ver', ver' sad,' I say. 'Oh, Skip' Jim,' I say, 'tis ver' sad!'

"'Ruin'!' he say. 'I am not be rich no more. I am ver' poor man, Tom s.h.i.+va. I am once be rich; but I am not be rich no more.'

"I am not know what he mean. 'Not be rich no more?' I say. 'Not be rich no more?'

"'Look!' he say. 'Look, Tom s.h.i.+va! Thee gold! Thee seven lobster-tin of gold!'

"'I am see, Skip' Jim,' I say.

"'Ah,' he say, in thee mos' awful, thee ver' mos' awful, speak, 'it is all spoil'! It is all spoil'! I am ruin'!'

"Then I am pray mos' fearful hard to be ver' good business man for thee one hour. Ver' well. I look at thee gold. Do I know what he have mean?

G.o.d is good! I do. Ver' well. Thee gold is come out of the fire. What happen? Oh, ver' well! It have be melt. What ver' beeg fool is he! It have be melt. All? No! Thee gold steek together; thee gold melt in two; thee gold be in thee beeg lump; thee gold be damage'. What this fool theenk? Ah! Pooh! This fool theenk thee gold have be all spoil'. Good gold? No, spoil' gold! No good no more. Ruin'? I am ver' good business man. I see what he have mean. Ah, my heart! It jump, it swell, it choke me, it tumble into the belly, it stop; it hurt me mos' awful. I am theenk I die. Thee good G.o.d have answer thee prayer. 'O my G.o.d,' I pray once more, 'this man is ver' beeg fool. Make Tanous s.h.i.+va good business man. It have be ver', ver' easy t'ing to do, O G.o.d!'

"'Spoil', Skip' Jim?' I say.

"'All spoil', Tom s.h.i.+va,' he say. 'Thee gold no good.'

"'Ver' sad to be ruin',' I say. 'Oh, Skip' Jim, ver' sad to be ruin'. I am ver', ver' sad to see you ruin'.'

"'Tom s.h.i.+va,' he say, 'you ver' good man.'

"'Skip' Jim,' I say, 'I have love you ver' much.'

"'Oh, Tom s.h.i.+va,' thee beeg fool say, 'I am thank you ver' hard.'

"'Oh yess, Skip' Jim,' I say, 'I am love you ver', ver' much.'

"He shake my han'.

"'I am love you ver' much, Skip' Jim,' I say, 'an' I am ver' good man.'

"My han' it pinch me ver' sore, Skip' Jim shake it so hard with thee beeg, black han' he have. Thee han' of thee feesherman is ver', ver'

beeg, ver' strong. Thee ver' hard work make it ver' beeg an' strong.

"'Skip' Jim,' I say, 'I am poor man. But not ver' poor. I am have leet-tle money. I am wish thee help to you. I am _buy_ thee spoil'

gold.'

"'Buy thee gold?' he say. 'Oh, Tom s.h.i.+va. All spoil'. Look! All melt.

Thee gold no good no more.'

"'I am buy thee gold from you,' I say, 'Skip' Jim, my friend.'

"'Ver' good friend, you, Tom s.h.i.+va,' he say; 'ver' good friend to me.'

"I am look at him ver' close. I am theenk what he will take. 'I am geeve you,' I say, 'I am geeve you,' Skip' Jim,' I say-

"Then I stop.

"'What you geeve me for thee spoil' gold?' he say.

"'I am geeve you,' I say, 'for thee spoil' gold an' for thee half-bushel of spoil' silver,' I say, 'I am geeve you seventy-five dollar.'

"Then _he_ get ver' good business man in the eye.

"'Oh no!' he say. 'I am want one hundred dollar.'

"I shake my head. 'Oh, Skip' Jim!' I say. 'Shame to have treat thee friend so! I am great friend to you, Skip' Jim,' I say. 'But,' I say, 'business is business. Skip' Jim,' I say, 'let us have pray.'

"What you theenk? What you theenk this ver' beeg fool do? How I laugh inside! 'Let us have pray, Skip' Jim,' I say. What you theenk he do? Eh?