Yollop

120

pages

English

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2010

Écrit par
George Barr Mccutcheon

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120

pages

English

Ebook

2010

Lire

Le téléchargement nécessite un accès à la bibliothèque YouScribe Tout savoir sur nos offres

Publié par

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Publié le

08 décembre 2010

Nombre de lectures

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English

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Yollop, by George Barr McCutcheon #6 in our series by George Barr McCutcheonCopyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloadingor redistributing this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook.This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do notchange or edit the header without written permission.Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of thisfile. Included is important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how the file may be used. You can alsofind out about how to make a donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts****eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971*******These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!*****Title: YollopAuthor: George Barr McCutcheonRelease Date: June, 2004 [EBook #5866] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first postedon September 15, 2002]Edition: 10Language: English*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOLLOP ***Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team[Illustration: LEAVING MRS. CHAMPNEY SEATED ALONE AND HELPLESS INTHE MIDST OF THE CONFUSION, SMILK MARCHED MR. YOLLOP TO HIS BEDROOM]YOLLOPBYGEORGE ...

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Publié par

nusog

Publié le

08 décembre 2010

Nombre de lectures

Langue

English

Author: George Barr McCutcheonRelease Date: June, 2004 [EBook #5866] [Yes, weare more than one year ahead of schedule] [Thisfile was first posted on September 15, 2002]Edition: 10Language: English*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG***EBOOK YOLLOP Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Charles Franksand the Online Distributed Proofreading Team[Illustration: LEAVING MRS. CHAMPNEY SEATEDALONE AND HELPLESS INTHE MIDST OF THE CONFUSION, SMILKMARCHED MR. YOLLOP TO HIS BEDROOM]YOLLOPBYGEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON

FRONTISPIECE BYEDWARD C. CASWELLNEW YORK1922YOLLOPCHAPTER ONEIn the first place, Mr. Yollop knew nothing aboutfirearms. And so, after he had overpowered theburglar and relieved him of a fully loaded thirty-eight, he was singularly unimpressed by thefollowing tribute from the bewildered and somewhatexasperated captive:

"Say, ain't you got any more sense than to tackle aman with a gun, you chuckle-headed idiot?" (Onlyhe did not say "chuckle-headed," and he insertedseveral expletives between "say" and "ain't.")The dazed intruder was hunched limply, in a sittingposture, over against the wall, one hand clampedtightly to his jaw, the other being elevated inobedience to a command that had to be thricerepeated before it found lodgment in his whirlingbrain. Mr. Yollop, who seemed to be satisfied withthe holding up of but one hand, cupped his ownhand at the back of one ear, and demandedquerulously:"What say!""Are you hard o' hearin'?""Hey?""Well for the—say, are you deef?" "Don't say deef. Say deaf,—as if it were spelledd-e-double f."Yes,—I am a little hard of hearing."Now, how the hell did you hear—I say, HOW DIDYOU HEAR ME IN THEROOM, if it's a fair question?""If you've got anything in your mouth, spit it out. Ican't make out half what you say. Sounds like 'ollo—ollo—ollo'!"

The thief opened his mouth and with his tongueinstituted a visible search for the obstruction thatappeared to annoy Mr. Yollop."They're all here except the one I had pulled lastyear," he announced vastly relieved. A sharpspasm of pain in his jaw caused him to abruptlytake advantage of a recent discovery; and while hewas careful to couch his opinions in an undertone,he told Mr. Yollop what he thought of him in termsthat would have put the hardiest pirate to blush.Something in Mr. Yollop's eye, however, and thefidgety way in which he was fingering the trigger ofthe pistol, moved him to interrupt a particularlysatisfying paean of blasphemy by breaking offshort in the very middle of it to wonder why inGod's name he hadn't had sense enough toremember that all deaf people are lip-readers."Spit it out!" repeated Mr. Yollop, with energy."Don't talk with your mouth full. I can't understand.a word you say"This was reassuring but not convincing. There wasstill the ominous glitter in the speaker's eye to bereckoned with. The man on the floor took theprecaution to explain: "I hope "you didn't hear whatI was callin' myself." He spoke loudly and verydistinctly."That's better," said Mr. Yollop, his facebrightening. "I was 'afraid my hearing had gotworse without my knowing it. All you have to do isto enunciate distinctly and speak slowly like that,—

as if you were isolating the words,—so to speak,—and I can make out everything you say. What wereyou calling yourself?""Oh, just a lot of names. I'd sooner not repeat 'emif there's any women in the house.""Well, bless my soul, that's uncommonly thoughtfulof you. My sister and her young daughter are hereto spend the holidays with me. They sleep at theback of the apartment. Now, if you will just remainas you are,—I dare say you'd better put up theother hand, too, if you can spare it,—I will back upto the table here and get my listening apparatus.Now you won't have to shout so. I don't knowmuch about revolvers, but I assume that all onehas to do to make it go off is to press rather firmlyon this little contrivance—""Yes! But DON'T!""Not so loud! Not so loud! I'm not as deaf as allthat. And don't move! I give you fair warning.Watch me closely. If you see me shut my eyes,you will know I'm going to shoot. Remember that,will you? The instant you detect the slightestindication that my eyes are about to close,—dodge!""By thunder,—I—I wonder if you're as much of ablame fool as you seem to be,—or are you justplaying horse with me," muttered the victim, as heraised his other hand. "I'd give ten years of my lifeto know,—"

"I won't be a second," announced Mr. Yollop,backing gingerly toward the table. With his freehand he felt for and found the rather elaboratecontraption that furnished him with the means tocounteract his auricular deficiencies. The handholding the revolver wobbled a bit; nevertheless,the little black hole at which the dazed robberstared as if fascinated was amazingly steadfast inits regard for the second or perhaps the thirdbutton of his coat. "It's a rather complicatedarrangement," he went on to explain, "but verysimple once you get it adjusted to the ear. It tookme some time to get used to wearing this steelband over the top of my head. I never have tried toput it on with one hand before. Amazing howawkward one can be with his left hand, isn't it?Now, you see how it goes. This little receiverbusiness clamps right down to the ear,—so. Thenthis disc hangs over my chest—and you talk rightat it. For awhile I made a practice of concealing itunder my vest, being somewhat sensitive abouthaving strangers see that I am deaf, but one daymy niece, a very bright child often, asked me why Idid it. I told her it was because I didn't want peopleto know I was deaf. Have you ever felt so foolishthat you wanted to kick yourself all over town?Well, then you know how I felt when that blessedinfant pointed to this thing on my ear and—Whatsay?""I say, that's the way I've been feeling ever since Icame to," repeated the disgusted burglar."Of course, I realize that it's a physical, you might

well say, a scientific impossibilty, for one to kickhimself all over town, but just the same, I believeyou are as nearly in the mood to accomplish it asany man alive to-day.""You bet I could," snapped the thief, with greatearnestness. "When I think how I let a skinny, half-witted boob like you walk right into a clinch withme, and me holdin' a gun, and weighin' fortypounds more than you do, I—Can you hear whatI'm saying?""Perfectly. It's a wonderful invention," said Mr.Yollop, who had approached to within four or fivefeet of the speaker and was bending over to affordhim every facility for planting his words squarelyupon the disc. "Speak in the same tone of voicethat you would employ if I were about thirty feetaway and perfectly sound of hearing. Just imagine,if you can, that I am out in the hall, with the dooropen, and you are carrying on a conversation withme at that—""I've said all I want to say," growled the othersullenly."What is your name?""None of your damn business."Mr. Yollop was silent for a moment. Then heinquired steadily:"Have you any recollection of receiving a blow onthe jaw, and subsequently lying on the flat of your

back with my knees jouncing up and down on yourstomach while your bump of amativeness wasbeing roughly and somewhat regularly poundedagainst the wall in response to a certain nervousand uncontrollable movement of my hands whichhappened to be squeezing your windpipe so tightlythat your tongue hung out and—""You bet I remember it!" ruefully."Well, then," said Mr. Yollop, "what is your name?""Jones.""What?"I thought you said you could hear with that thing!"""I heard you say Jones quite distinctly, but whycan't you answer my question? It was civil enough,wasn't it?""Well," said the crook, still decidedly uncertain as tothe expression in Mr. Yollop's eye, "if you insist ona civil answer, it's Smilk.""Smith?""No, NOT Smith," hastily and earnestly; "Smilk,—S-m-i-l-k.""Smilk?""Smilk."

"Extraordinary name. I've never heard it before,have you?"The rascal blinked. "Sure. It was my father's namebefore me, and my—""Look me in the eye!""I am lookin' you in the eye. It's Smilk,—CassiusSmilk.""Sounds convincing," admitted Mr. Yollop. "Nobodywould take the name of Cassius in vain, I am sure.As a sensible, discriminating thief, you would notdeliberately steal a name like Cassius, now wouldyou?""Well, you see, they call me Cash for short,"explained Smilk."That's something I can steal with a clearconscience.""I perceive you are recovering your wits, Mr. Smilk.You appear to be a most ingenuous rogue. Haveyou ever tried writing the book for a musicalcomedy?""A—what?""A musical comedy. A forty-legged thing you seeon Broadway."Mr. Smilk pondered. "No, sir," he replied, allowinghimself a prideful leer; "if I do say it as shouldn't,I'm an honest thief."

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