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XIII. Hostages to Momus | O Henry | |
Section IV |
Page 1 of 3 |
About four o'clock in the afternoon, Caligula, who was acting as lookout, calls to me: "I have to report a white shirt signalling on the starboard bow, sir." I went down the mountain and brought back a fat, red man in an alpaca coat and no collar. "Gentlemen," says Colonel Rockingham, "allow me to introduce my brother, Captain Duval C. Rockingham, vice-president of the Sunrise & Edenville Tap Railroad." "Otherwise the King of Morocco," says I. "I reckon you don't mind my counting the ransom, just as a business formality." "Well, no, not exactly," says the fat man, "not when it comes. I turned that matter over to our second vice-president. I was anxious after Brother Jackson's safetiness. I reckon he'll be along right soon. What does that lobster salad you mentioned taste like, Brother Jackson?" "Mr. Vice-President," says I, "you'll oblige us by remaining here till the second V.P. arrives. This is a private rehearsal, and we don't want any roadside speculators selling tickets." In half an hour Caligula sings out again: "Sail ho! Looks like an apron on a broomstick." I perambulated down the cliff again, and escorted up a man six foot three, with a sandy beard and no other dimension that you could notice. Thinks I to myself, if he's got ten thousand dollars on his person it's in one bill and folded lengthwise. "Mr. Patterson G. Coble, our second vice-president," announces the colonel. |
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