ike a man who has gone to
work fasting.

"William Drew!" he repeated, more to himself than to Lawlor, and the
latter formed a silent prayer of gratitude that he was _not_ William
Drew.

"I'm forgetting myself," went on the tenderfoot, with a ghost of a
smile. "My name is Bard--Anthony Bard."

His glance narrowed again, and this time Lawlor, remembering his part,
pretended to start with surprise.

"Bard?"

"Yes. Anthony Bard."

"Glad to know you. You ain't by any chance related to a John Bard?"

"Why?"

"Had a partner once by that name. Good old John Bard!"

He shook his head, as though overcome by recollections.

"I've heard something about you and your partner, Mr. Drew."

"Yes?"

"In fact, it seems to be a rather unusual story."

"Well, it ain't common. John Bard! I'll tell the world there was a man."

"Yes, he was."

"What's that?"

"He must have been," answered Anthony, "from all that I've heard of him.
I'm interested in what I scrape together about him. You see, he carries
the same name."

"That's nacheral. How long since you ate?"

"Last night."

"The hell! Starved?"

"Rather."

"It's near chow-time. Will you eat now or wait for the reg'lar spread?"

"I think I can wait, thank you."

"A little drink right now to help you along, eh?" He strode over and
opened the door. "Hey! Shorty!"

For answer there came only the wail of an old pirate song.

"Oh, my name's Sam'l Hall--Sam'l Hall;
My name's Sam'l Hall--Sam'l Hall.
My name is Sam'l Hall,
And I hate you one an' all,
You're a gang of muckers all--
Damn your eyes!"

"Listen!" said Lawlor, turning to his guest with a deprecating wave of
the hand. "A cook what sings! Which in the old days I wouldn't have had
a bum like that around my place, but there ain't no choosin' now."

The voice from the kitchen rolled out louder:

"I killed a man, they said, so they said;
I killed a man, they said, so they said.
I killed a man they said,
For I hit 'im on the head,
And I left him there for dead--
Damn your eyes!"

"Hey! Shorty Kilrain!" bellowed the aggravated host.

He turned to Bard.

"What'd you do with a bum like that for a cook?"

"Pay him wages and keep him around to sing songs. I like this one.
Listen!"

"They put me in the quad--in the quad;
They put me in the quad--in the quad.
They put me in the quad,
They chained me to a rod,