mediately all eyes turned upon the flushing youth. The girl and Bridge
could not prevent their own gazes from wandering to the bulging coat
pockets, the owner of which moved uneasily, at last shooting a look of
defiance, not unmixed with pleading, at Bridge.

"He's a bad one," interjected Dopey Charlie, a glint of cunning in his
ordinarily glassy eyes. "He flashes a couple o' mitsful of sparklers,
chesty-like, and allows as how he's a regular burglar. Then he pulls
a gun on me, as wasn't doin' nothin' to him, and 'most croaks me. It's
even money that if anyone's been croaked in Oakdale last night they
won't have to look far for the guy that done it. Least-wise they won't
have to look far if he doesn't come across," and Dopey Charlie looked
meaningly and steadily at the side pockets of The Oskaloosa Kid.

"I think," said Bridge, after a moment of general silence, "that you
two crooks had better beat it. Do you get me?" and he looked from Dopey
Charlie to The General and back again.

"We don't go," said Dopey Charlie, belligerently, "until we gets half
the Kid's swag."

"You go now," said Bridge, "without anybody's swag," and he drew the
boy's automatic from his side pocket. "You go now and you go quick--beat
it!"

The two rose and shuffled toward the door. "We'll get you, you colledge
Lizzy," threatened Dopey Charlie, "an' we'll get that phoney punk, too."

"'And speed the parting guest,'" quoted Bridge, firing a shot that
splintered the floor at the crook's feet. When the two hoboes had
departed the others huddled again close to the stove until Bridge
suggested that he and The Oskaloosa Kid retire to another room while the
girl removed and dried her clothing; but she insisted that it was
not wet enough to matter since she had been covered by a robe in the
automobile until just a moment before she had been hurled out.

"Then, after you are warmed up," said Bridge, "you can step into this
other room while the kid and I strip and dry our things, for there's no
question but that we are wet enough."

At the suggestion the kid started for the door. "Oh, no," he insisted;
"it isn't worth while. I am almost dry now, and as soon as we get out on
the road I'll be all right. I--I--I like wet clothes," he ended, lamely.

Bridge looked at him questioningly; but did not urge the matter. "Very
well," he said; "you probably know what you like; but as for me, I'm
going to pull off every rag and get good and dry."

The girl ha