em to know that she was talking.
"_Who_ give it?" he persisted.

"It--it was One-Eye," said Johnnie.

"Oh, _was_ it!" exclaimed the longshoreman. His tone implied that in all
good time he would reckon with the Westerner.

"Yes, One-Eye!" cried Cis. "So you can take your temper out on _him_!
Only you better look out! One-Eye's a man--not just a kid! And cowboys
carry pistols, too! So you better think twice before you go at _him_!
You'll be safer to stick to abusing children!--Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!"

While he was waiting for silence, Barber fell to examining the scout
uniform, article by article--the hat, the coat, the trousers, the
leggings, the shoes, his look full of disgust, and fairly withering.
When he was done, he sank leisurely into the morris chair, a big hand on
each knee, and the flat back of his head rested against the old soiled
cushion. And now he concentrated on Johnnie's countenance. "So Mister
One-Eye fitted y' out," he resumed, and his mouth lifted at one corner,
showing a brown, fanglike tooth worn by his pipe stem.

"Y--yes, sir," replied Johnnie.

"Oh, be sure to sir him!" mocked Cis. "He deserves politeness!"

Big Tom showed all of his teeth. But not at what Cis had been saying; it
was evident that some new and pleasant thought had occurred to him. He
nodded his head over it. "I thought maybe it was that dude again," he
remarked cheerfully. "But it was One-Eye fitted y' out! Hm! And when I'm
off at work, instead o' doin' what y' ought t', y' fix y'rself up, don't
y'?--soldier boy stuff!"

"I--I do my work in these," pleaded Johnnie. "I do! Honest! See how nice
the place is! I don't shirk nothin'! 'Cause y' see, a scout, he----"

Big Tom let him get no further. "Take them rags off!" he commanded. The
last trace of that smile was gone. The bulging eyes looked out through
slits. That underlip was thrust forward wrathfully.

"Take your suit off, Johnnie," counseled Cis. "Don't you see he hates to
have you look nice?"

"My--my scout suit!" faltered the boy. The light in those peering,
bloodshot eyes told him that the longshoreman would mistreat that
beloved uniform; and Johnnie wanted to gain time. Something, or some
one, might interrupt, and thus stave off--what?

Barber straightened. "Take--it--off," he said quietly, but with heat;
and added, "Before I tear it off."

Johnnie proceeded to carry out the order. He put the beautiful
olive-drab hat on the table. Next he unfastened the neat, webb