," he said; "here take it."

"I wouldn't try to find out that way," I told him.

"I know you wouldn't," he said.

So then he held his flashlight to my finger and I said, "what do you know
about that? I'm carrying a lumber yard around with me. I _thought_ I felt
kind of heavy."

"Have you got a needle?" he asked.

"A crowbar would be better," I told him.

"Hold still," he said, and then he just pulled it out with his fingers.

"That ought to be worth a couple of dollars, hey?" I said, "with the high
cost of timber."

So then we both laughed. Anyway, Dorry and I were always good friends, you
can bet. He was just going to turn off the flashlight when I noticed that
piece of newspaper sticking out of his jacket pocket and I pulled it out,
just kind of half joking, and I said, "Here's what I want. Gaylong said I
could read it."

Gee whiz, there wasn't any harm in that. Oftentimes I'd do things like that
with fellows, and especially Dorry, because I'd known him so long.

"You put that back," he said, kind of mad.

"What's the use of getting mad?" I said.

"You're grouchy because you can't sleep. Here, let's have your flashlight."
And I just grabbed that out of his pocket, too.

I guess he was going to grab them both away from me; anyway, it seemed that
way for a couple of seconds.

Then he said, "Now you'll go and spoil it all."

"Spoil what?" I asked him.

"Go on, read it," he said.

"Sure I'll read it," I told him; "what's all the excitement about?"

"I hope you can keep your mouth shut," he said.

But, believe _me_, I didn't read very much of it, because all I could see
was the picture. I held the flashlight on it and just stared and stared
and stared.

Then I said, "Dorry!--You know--? I was just flabbergasted and I could
hardly speak.

"Sure I know," he said; "it's Jib Jab. I'm going to get my motorcycle after
all."

CHAPTER XXVI

DORRY AND I AND THE CRICKET

For a couple of minutes I could hardly speak, I was so surprised. The
picture in that article was the picture of _Jib Jab, is he human?_ I knew
by the wavy hair and the look he had, that made me not know whether he was
jollying me or not. He had that very same look in the picture. I could
almost hear him speak to me. And I just couldn't take my eyes off it. Even
that funny kind of twinkle in his eye was there, just the same as when he
made Judge Dot mad.

"You and I are the only ones that saw his real face; that's one good
thing