ull o' shot. Ther
punctured demon of Demonville! Say, kid, I'd hate ter laugh at yer, but
yer a sight. Why didn't yer fix it so's them two charges o' shot would
hev been distributed among ther gang? Then yer could sit down o'
evenings an' pick shot out o' one another instid o' plottin' agin' ther
whites."

"Let him be, Bud, he's having all he can do to think about these shots,
as it is. The things for us to do now is to pick them out of him."

"We'll let him count 'em ez they come out. That'll help take his mind
off his troubles, but he'll hev ter hev a great head fer figgers."

They went to work on him with their penknives, as most of the shot were
just beneath the skin. But it was painful enough, at that, and every
time a shot came out Farley groaned deeper. While they were engaged in
this, to them, pleasing occupation, Billy Sudden arrived.

"Hello, kid," he said to Farley. "So you got it at last. I could have
told you to keep away from Ted Strong and his bunch. They're bad
medicine for a herd o' mavericks like you to graze with. You tackled the
wrong outfit. They're too many fer you, and if you'll all take a fool's
advice you'll keep away, or else some of you will be looking through a
griddle in a door up at the penitentiary."

Farley made no reply, only hid his face and groaned at every extracted
shot.

"Say, kid, what about this gang you belong to?"

The boy shook his head.

"D'ye mean to say you're not going to tell me about it?"

The boy nodded.

"What's the reason you won't?"

"The oath."

"Slush with the oath. You had no business to take it. What'll the home
folks think when I tell them about this. Shot by a Chinaman in the
chicken house at dawn!"

Billy paused to let the ignominy of it sink in. It did sound pretty bad
and mean and cheap. There were no heroics in this, such as Farley had at
first considered his role.

He hid his face on his arm, and his body shook. Billy had probed deep
into his pride.

"Well, come on," said Billy. "This is no time for a conspirator to do
the baby act. I suppose you thought it was to be a spotlight scene where
you stood in the center doing the heavy stunt, and all the rest sat on
the bleachers and applauded. By gee! Peppered by a Chinaman, and with
snipe shot, at that."

"Oh, quit it!" said Farley. "I know I was a chump for sticking with
those fellows, but I needed the money."

"What money?"

"My share of the--"

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Yes, th