him developed broad grins--and until the man who called
himself Handsome brought him to with a sudden thrust of his arm which
nearly took the breath out of the lad.

"What's eatin' you, you loon?" he demanded.

"I was laughing," replied Ten-Ichi, now as solemn as an owl.

"You don't say so! Were you? What at?"

"You. It is so funny that you should be called Handsome."

Handsome grinned with the others.

"Well," he said. "What's your name? Out with it!"

"I'm Tenstrike--Ten, for short. That's what."

"All right, Ten; you pass. You're harmless, I guess--unless you let out
that laugh of yours at the wrong time. I would advise you not to do
that. And _you_?" He turned now to Patsy, with a sudden whirl of his
body. "You were the first of this bunch to get here. Who are you?"

"Sure," said Patsy, with a slow drawl, "I'm an Irishman, and me name
doesn't matter to you. It's enough that they call me Pat. If ye don't
happen to like it, sure you can call me Tim, or Mike, or Shamus, or any
old thing that suits ye. And what am I here for, is it? Sure, I'm on a
still hunt for a man I want to find. Mebby ye're after knowin' him."

"Maybe I am. Who is he?"

"Faith, I wish I knowed that. He calls himself Hobo Harry--that same!"

A dead silence followed upon this unlooked-for announcement. The
boldness of it surprised Nick, startled Chick, and frightened Ten-Ichi,
lest unpleasant results should come of it. But it was evident that
Patsy knew his ground, and had prepared for this very moment, for he was
cool and smiling, and he appeared to enjoy hugely the effect that his
words had had upon the others.

It was Handsome who finally broke the silence that ensued; and he
replied:

"That's a name, Pat--if that's your own handle--which isn't spoken
lightly around these parts. What do you want with him?"

"By your l'ave, mister, I'll tell that to him when I find him. In the
meantime, if youse be afther mindin' yere own business, it wouldn't
hurrt ye any. Ye seem to be making of yerself a sort of highcockalorum
elegantarium bosski. If ye tell me that ye know Hobo Harry, an' will
take me to him, so's I can tell me story to him, mebby I'll answer ye;
but not unless."

Again there was silence; and this time it was Nick who brought it to an
end.

"Handsome," he said sharply, "who's this other bunch? What I want to
know is, are they wid you?"

"They are," was the quick reply. Then he wheeled quickly to Patsy again,
and added: