right there. An' them two ole sports give up their business jes' t' chase
things like them. They's some folks goes loony about chickens, an' hosses,
an' fancy dogs, but this here kind o' collectin' 's only fer millionaires.
They's more difficult t' pick than a lucky race-hoss. They's barrels o'
that stuff in them houses, that looked jes' as good as them there, but
nowheres as valible."

An informal lecture on Chinese ceramics before daylight on Christmas
morning was not to the liking of the anxious and nerve-torn Mary and
Humpy. They brought The Hopper down from his lofty heights to practical
questions touching his plans, for the disposal of Shaver in the first
instance, and the ceramics in the second. The Hopper was singularly
unmoved by their forebodings.

"I guess th' lady got me to do ut!" he retorted finally. "Ef I do time fer
ut I reckon's how she's in fer ut, too! An' I seen her pap breakin' into a
house an' I guess I'd be a state's witness fer that! I reckon they ain't
goin' t' put nothin' over on Hop! I guess they won't peep much about
kidnapin' with th' kid safe an' us pickin' 'im up out o' th' road an'
shelterin' 'im. Them folks is goin' to be awful nice to Hop fer all he
done fer 'em." And then, finding that they were impressed by his defense,
thus elaborated, he magnanimously referred to the bill-book which had
started him on his downward course.

"That were a mistake; I grant ye ut were a mistake o' jedgment. I'm goin'
to keep to th' white card. But ut's kind o' funny about that
poke--queerest thing that ever happened."

He drew out the book and eyed the name on the flap. Humpy tried to grab
it, but The Hopper, frustrating the attempt, read his colleague a sharp
lesson in good manners. He restored it to his pocket and glanced at the
clock.

"We gotta do somethin' about Shaver's stockin's. Ut ain't fair fer a kid
to wake up an' think Santy missed 'im. Ye got some candy, Mary; we kin put
candy into 'em; that's reg'ler."

Humpy brought in Shaver's stockings and they were stuffed with the candy
and popcorn Mary had provided to adorn their Christmas feast. Humpy
inventoried his belongings, but could think of nothing but a revolver that
seemed a suitable gift for Shaver. This Mary scornfully rejected as
improper for one so young. Whereupon Humpy produced a Mexican silver
dollar, a treasured pocket-piece preserved through many tribulations, and
dropped it reverently into one of the stockings. Two brass but