in the open air, madam," answered the physician.

"Is young Prescott very badly hurt?"

"I can't tell yet," said Dr. Bentley. "There doesn't seem to be any
fracture of the bone at the point where he was struck. And the back of
his head seems to be sound and whole. I think Master Dick is simply
stunned."

Dr. Bentley stepped over to his auto, took out a drug case and selected
a vial from it.

"Get me a glass of water, someone, and promptly," he directed.

The water was quickly brought. After pouring a few drops from the vial
into it, the medical man supported Dick's head and poured some of the
stuff into his mouth.

After a short time Dick opened his eyes.

"Wh-what kicked me?" he asked slowly.

"The fist of that gentleman with soap-made fits," replied the physician
dryly. "Take a few deep breaths, Prescott. Now, a little more from the
glass. Breathe hard again. There, do you feel as though you'd like to
get on your feet?"

"Certainly," Dick replied.

Dr. Bentley helped him to his feet, supporting him and urging him to try
to walk a little. At about this time Dave and the others returned at a
trot.

"Dick, I guess you saved some of us from losing more in the way of
valuables," smiled the medical man grimly. "For one, I'm ashamed of
myself. A man who has been practising medicine more than twenty years
should know too much to be taken in by sham fits on the part of a thief
who plays his trick in order to rob a crowd of Christmas shoppers."

"You think he meant to rob us, then, doctor?" pressed a woman in the
crowd.

"That fellow certainly did mean to do it," replied Dr. Bentley with
emphasis. "It's an old trick in a crowd--this sort of sham sickness."

"And he got all my Christmas money--every cent of it--and carried it off
with him!" wailed one woman, who looked as though she could not afford
to lose much money.

"He snatched my locket with the diamond in it!" vengefully exclaimed
another woman, exhibiting the broken ends of a neck chain.

"My purse is gone. I had forty-two dollars in it."

"I didn't get off very lightly, ladies," replied Dr. Bentley. "My scarf
pin wasn't so extremely valuable, but I feel badly about the watch, and
I shall feel worse when I realize its loss more fully. That was my
father's watch, and I valued it above money."

"The police ought to catch that scoundrel," declared one of the women
losers.

"Of course they ought," cried another. "If they don't catch the thief
what g