American. [Making gestures] First-class typhus, black typhus, schwarzen typhus.  Now you have it.  I’m kind o’ sorry for you and the gentleman in buttons.  Do your duty!

Official.  Typhus?  Der Bub—­die baby hat typhus?

American.  I’m telling you.

Official.  Gott im Himmel!

American. [Spotting the German in the little throng] here’s a gentleman will corroborate me.

Official. [Much disturbed, and signing to the policeman to stand clear] Typhus!  ‘Aber das ist grasslich’!

American.  I kind o’ thought you’d feel like that.

Official.  ‘Die Sanitatsmachine!  Gleich’!

     [A Porter goes to get it.  From either side the broken half-moon
     of persons stand gazing at the little man, who sits unhappily
     dandling the baby in the centre.]

Official. [Raising his hands] ‘Was zu thun’?

American.  Guess you’d better isolate the baby.

     [A silence, during which the little man is heard faintly
     whistling and clucking to the baby.]

Official. [Referring once more to his telegram]

“’Rest gentleman mit black baby.” [Shaking his head] Wir must de gentleman hold. [To the German] ’Bitte, mein Herr, sagen Sie ihm, den Buben zu niedersetzen’. [He makes the gesture of deposit.]

German. [To the little man] He say:  Put down the baby.

     [The little man shakes his head, and continues to dandle the
     baby.]

Official.  You must.

     [The little man glowers, in silence.]

Englishman. [In background—­muttering] Good man!

German.  His spirit ever denies.

Official. [Again making his gesture] ‘Aber er muss’!

     [The little man makes a face at him.]

‘Sag’ Ihm’:  Instantly put down baby, and komm’ mit us.

     [The baby wails.]

Little man.  Leave the poor ill baby here alone?  Be—­be—­be d—–­d to you!

American. [Jumping on to a trunk—­with enthusiasm] Bully!

     [The English clap their hands; the Dutch youth laughs.  The
     official is muttering, greatly incensed.]

American.  What does that body-snatcher say?

German.  He say this man use the baby to save himself from arrest. 
Very smart he say.

American.  I judge you do him an injustice. [Showing off the little man with a sweep of his arm.] This is a white man.  He’s got a black baby, and he won’ leave it in the lurch.  Guess we would all act noble that way, give us the chance.