r a person likes them or not," Pee-wee
said; preoccupied with his own sorrow and worry, yet amused in spite of
himself at this queer little fellow.

"Yes it is," said Whitie Bungel.

"All right then, it is," said Pee-wee.

"Why did you say it wasn't?"

"Oh, I don't know, I guess I was thinking of something else."

"What were you thinking of?"

"Oh, I don't know--nothing."

"Why did you say you were?"

"You didn't tell me about why you didn't go to the hospital last night."

"I can see things that other folks can't see," Whitie announced.

"You're like Licorice Stick," said Pee-wee.

"He's black," Whitie said.

"I know he is."

"Then how am I like him? I'm white. My name is Whitie."

Pee-wee felt like a prisoner at the bar of justice with this little
personage swathed in blankets, staring down at him. His wrappings
covered his neck and all that could be seen of him was his face,
perfectly motionless. Finally he said as if he were pronouncing
sentence.

"Doctor Killem took me in his auto. We had to turn around and come back
when we came to the bridge burning down. He's going to take me another
way. I saw a man getting dead."

"Where?" Pee-wee asked, his interest somewhat aroused,

"Will you give me that tin thing if I tell you?"

"That isn't a tin thing, it's a compass, it tells you which way to go.

"Can it talk?"

"No, it can't talk."

"Then how can it tell you?"

"It points its finger."

"You're crazy."

"All right," Pee-wee laughed in spite of himself. "You tell me about the
man getting dead and I'll give you the tin thing."

"He was lying down in the bushes and wriggling."

"Where? Near the bridge?" Pee-wee asked.

"Doctor Killem didn't see him and he laughed at me. He said I was seeing
things. Can you wriggle? I looked back out of the window and saw him."

"Did you tell your father about it?" Pee-wee asked, hardly knowing what
to think of this information.

"My mother made him give her the two hundred and fifty dollars so I
wouldn't get dead. Do you know what I'm going to be when I grow up?"

"No; what?"

"A giant."

"Well, you'd better hurry up about it."

"Do you know where my father got that two hundred and fifty dollars?"

"Where?"

"It was a prize for catching thieves. You can't catch thieves."

"I know it," Pee-wee said.

"Are you going to be a thief when you grow up?"

"No, I guess not," said Pee-wee.

"You can have three guesses."

"All right, I guess no