The Hairy Ape Part 7

The bulls had beat him up fierce.

YANK--[_Dully._] I musta been dreamin'. I tought I was in a cage at de Zoo--but de apes don't talk, do dey?

VOICES--[_With mocking laughter._] You're in a cage aw right.

A coop!

A pen!

A sty!

A kennel! [_Hard laughter--a pause._]

Say, guy! Who are you? No, never mind lying. What are you?

Yes, tell us your sad story. What's your game?

What did they jug yuh for?

YANK--[_Dully._] I was a fireman--stokin' on de liners. [_Then with sudden rage, rattling his cell bars._] I'm a hairy ape, get me? And I'll bust youse all in de jaw if yuh don't lay off kiddin' me.

VOICES--Huh! You're a hard boiled duck ain't you!

When you spit, it bounces! [_Laughter._]

Aw, can it. He's a regular guy. Ain't you?

What did he say he was--a ape?

YANK--[_Defiantly._] Sure ting! Ain't dat what youse all are--apes? [_A silence. Then a furious rattling of bars from down the corridor._]

A VOICE--[_Thick with rage._] I'll show yuh who's a ape, yuh b.u.m!

VOICES--Ssshh! Nix!

Can de noise!

Piano!

You'll have the guard down on us!

YANK--[_Scornfully._] De guard? Yuh mean de keeper, don't yuh? [_Angry exclamations from all the cells._]

VOICE--[_Placatingly._] Aw, don't pay no attention to him. He's off his nut from the beatin'-up he got. Say, you guy! We're waitin' to hear what they landed you for--or ain't yuh tellin'?

YANK--Sure, I'll tell youse. Sure! Why de h.e.l.l not? On'y--youse won't get me. n.o.body gets me but me, see? I started to tell de Judge and all he says was: "Toity days to tink it over." Tink it over! Christ, dat's all I been doin' for weeks! [_After a pause._] I was tryin' to git even wit someone, see?--someone dat done me doit.

VOICES--[_Cynically._] De old stuff, I bet. Your goil, huh?

Give yuh the double-cross, huh?

That's them every time!

Did yuh beat up de odder guy?

YANK--[_Disgustedly_] Aw, yuh're all wrong! Sure dere was a skoit in it--but not what youse mean, not dat old tripe. Dis was a new kind of skoit. She was dolled up all in white--in de stokehole. I tought she was a ghost. Sure. [_A pause._]

VOICES--[_Whispering._] Gee, he's still nutty.

Let him rave. It's fun listenin'.

YANK--[_Unheeding--groping in his thoughts._] Her hands--dey was skinny and white like dey wasn't real but painted on somep'n. Dere was a million miles from me to her--twenty-five knots a hour. She was like some dead ting de cat brung in. Sure, dat's what. She didn't belong.

She belonged in de window of a toy store, or on de top of a garbage can, see! Sure! [_He breaks out angrily._] But would yuh believe it, she had de noive to do me doit. She lamped me like she was seein'

somep'n broke loose from de menagerie. Christ, yuh'd oughter seen her eyes! [_He rattles the bars of his cell furiously._] But I'll get back at her yet, you watch! And if I can't find her I'll take it out on de gang she runs wit. I'm wise to where dey hangs out now. I'll show her who belongs! I'll show her who's in de move and who ain't. You watch my smoke!

VOICES--[_Serious and joking._] Dat's de talkin'!

Take her for all she's got!

What was this dame, anyway? Who was she, eh?

YANK--I dunno. First cabin stiff. Her old man's a millionaire, dey says--name of Douglas.

VOICES--Douglas? That's the president of the Steel Trust, I bet.

Sure. I seen his mug in de papers.

He's filthy with dough.

VOICE--Hey, feller, take a tip from me. If you want to get back at that dame, you better join the Wobblies. You'll get some action then.

YANK--Wobblies? What de h.e.l.l's dat?

VOICE--Ain't you ever heard of the I. W. W.?

YANK--Naw. What is it?

VOICE--A gang of blokes--a tough gang. I been readin' about 'em to-day in the paper. The guard give me the Sunday Times. There's a long spiel about 'em. It's from a speech made in the Senate by a guy named Senator Queen. [_He is in the cell next to YANK's. There is a rustling of paper._] Wait'll I see if I got light enough and I'll read you. Listen.

[_He reads:_] "There is a menace existing in this country to-day which threatens the vitals of our fair Republic--as foul a menace against the very life-blood of the American Eagle as was the foul conspiracy of Cataline against the eagles of ancient Rome!"

VOICE [_Disgustedly._] Aw h.e.l.l! Tell him to salt de tail of dat eagle!

VOICE--[_Reading:_] "I refer to that devil's brew of rascals, jailbirds, murderers and cutthroats who libel all honest working men by calling themselves the Industrial Workers of the World; but in the light of their nefarious plots, I call them the Industrious WRECKERS of the World!"

YANK--[_With vengeful satisfaction._] Wreckers, dat's de right dope!

Dat belongs! Me for dem!

VOICE--Ssshh! [_Reading._] "This fiendish organization is a foul ulcer on the fair body of our Democracy--"