ff key!"

He took it from his pocket and gave it to me. I unlocked each of my
bracelets. They left deep red marks around my wrists. Pike asked for a
drink of water and I got it for him. I could see that he was in
pain.

"You've played it on us again, Jud, I'll be hanged if you ain't," he
said to me. "What'd you have under that counter, Jud?"

"A can of blasting-powder," I answered.

"Dangerous place to store it when there's explosions, and kerosene
lamps and hot stoves, and fires, and such truck around. It done us
fellers up, and that's a fact."

"Well, I wasn't trying to make you feel at home," I replied. "How did
you happen to be blowing open other folks's safes?"

"Oh, it's all right, Jud, it's all right," he said. "I ain't finding
no fault. Only I think you'd 'a' done better to join us and get your
share."

Though I still felt pretty dizzy and weak I started out to look about
town. I found that the inside door of the bank safe was still tight
shut, though the outer one was blown off. The building was wrecked and
the drug store was not in much better shape. I could see that the bank
had been afire, but that Joe had put it out with water from the well.

Outside the barn I found Dick and Ned and the pony the Indian had
taken, with three of the gang's horses which had been left behind,
huddled together trying to keep out of the snow, which was still
coming down at a great rate and was being swirled about by the wind. I
let them in, and they were all very glad to get some feed, as were
likewise the cow and chickens. I found that the Indian had pried open
the back door with a crowbar from among the blacksmith's tools.

Night was already coming on and I was so tired and sleepy that I could
scarce keep up. So I made Pike as comfortable as I could, and went to
bed and slept like a log.

The first thing I knew in the morning was that the storm had turned
into a raging blizzard. It was not yet very cold, but the snow was
drifting as fast as it had any time during the winter. I found Pike
more comfortable. I had hoped for the train, but the storm discouraged
me. I began to wonder what I was going to do with him. That his leg
was broken was certain, and I almost wished that I had let him go with
the others.

It was Sunday, and the first thing I did after breakfast was to write
my regular letter to my mother, telling her all that had happened the
past week; and it was a good deal. Then I started out to take another