e recognize you
with your--er--decoration." His eyes dwelt in frank inquisitiveness
upon the ragged red bruise across Young Denny's chin. "You're the
member who stood near the door last night, aren't you--the one who
didn't join to any marked degree in the general jubilee?"

Young Denny's big, hard hand closed over the outstretched pudgy white
one. He grinned a little and slowly nodded his head.

"Thought so," the man in brown rambled blithely on, "and glad to see
you again. Glad of a chance to speak to you! I wanted most mightily to
ask you a few pertinent questions last night, but it hardly seemed a
fitting occasion."

He tapped Young Denny's arm with a stubby forefinger, one eyelid
drooping quizzically.

"_Entre nous_--just 'twixt thee and me," he went on, "and not for
publication, was this Jeddy Conway, as you knew him, all that your
eminent citizenry would lead a poor gullible stranger to believe, or
was he just a small-sized edition of the full-blown crook he happens
to be at the present stage of developments? Not that it makes any
difference here," he tapped the big notebook under his arm, "but I'm
just curious, a little, because the Jed The Red whom I happen to know
is so crooked nowadays that his own manager is afraid to place a bet
on him half the time. See?"

Denny smiled comprehendingly. He shifted his big body to a more
comfortable and far less awkward position.

"I see," he agreed.

Somehow, where it would have been an utter impossibility to have
spoken lightly to him the night before, he found it very easy now to
understand and meet half way the frivolity of the fat, grinning man
before him.

"Well, when he left town about eight years ago, his going was just a
trifle hasty. He--he took about everything there was in the
cash-drawer of Benson's store with him--except maybe a lead slug or
two--and there are some who think he only overlooked those."

The gurgle of sheer delight that broke from the lips of the man in
brown was spontaneously contagious.

"Just about as your servant had it figured out last night," he fairly
chirped. Then he slipped one hand through the crook of Denny's elbow.
"I guess I'll have to take a chance on you. It's too good to keep all
to myself." He led the way back to the empty truck. "And you ought to
be safe, too, for judging from the sentiments that were expressed
after you left last night, you--er--don't run very strong with this
community, either."

Again he pause