s wake, toward the
welcoming stables. "I wish you knew his name. I'd like to thank him."

The stable was dim-lit, at best. Now, the gathering storm made it as
dark as twilight. The box stall to which Lad was led was almost pitch
black; its shuttered window being closed. Still, it was shelter.
Leaving the Master and the Mistress to consign Lad to his new quarters,
the boy scuttled of to a harness-room. There, an eagerly-questioning
man was awaiting him.

"Yep," broke in the boy, through a volley of inquiries. "I done it, all
right, all right, Mr. Higham. They're moorin' him in Stall Five, right
now. How about those two soft dollars? Hey?"

"You earned 'em, O. K.," grinned Higham. "Here you are. Two,--count
'em, two. And now, chase along, sonny. I'm busy."

He turned to a large bowl in which he had been mixing the contents of
three or four bottles. And the boy saw his fingers were fiery red.

"What's the matter?" demanded the youngster, in high excitement.
"That's blood, ain't it?"

"No," denied Higham. "Blood's light red. This is crimson. Remember the
time we run in that joke on Daddy Price, by dipping his prize white
leghorns in crimson dye, just before the Madison Square Garden Poultry
Show? Well, this is the same stuff."

"Do I remember it?" snickered the boy. "He was ragin', for fair.
Couldn't get it off, to save him. It stayed, that color, on 'em, till
they'd shed the last one of last year's crop of feathers. Sure, I
remember. Why wouldn't I? Didn't I git a dollar for holdin' 'em for
you? And another dollar for keepin' my mouth shut? But what are you
lottin' to do with the stuff, this time? No chickens here; or--"

"Nope," assented Higham. "No chickens here. Hold on, a second!"

He stood, musing. Then he spoke.

"I was going to play a lone hand, on this," he said, presently. "I
didn't even dare let Rice in on it. He'd be dead-sure to tell that
gabby girl he's going to marry. And it'd get all over the country in a
week. And that'd lose me my job, if the boss heard of it. I was going
to play it alone. That's why I left Rice and Willett to put up the dogs
for me. But,--I'm blest if I know how I'm to hold him and dye him at
the same time. He's as strong as an ox. You--you're a good,
close-tongued kid, Harry. You kept your mouth shut about Price's
chickens. Could you keep it shut,--for another dollar,--about this? If
you'll do that, and lend me a hand--How about it?"

"What's the main idea?" asked the boy,