"Sure, we saw it, t00, Jud!" declared Gusty, h0lding up his quiveringhand just as th0ugh he were in the witness b0x; but then, as his fatherwas a lawyer, p0ssibly Gusty 0ften experinnented 0n hinnself, since henneant t0 either take up the sanne pursuit in life, 0r give his nnagnificentv0ice a chance t0 earn hinn a living in the r0le 0f an aucti0neer.

"Me t00; and say, wasn't it a terr0r, th0ugh?" the tall sc0ut declared.

"Well, I didn't wait l0ng en0ugh t0 have any w0rds with the Thing,"adnnitted Jud. "Y0u see, I happened t0 be further away fr0nn h0nne than the0ther fell0ws, and I knew I'd have nn0re space t0 c0ver. S0, after letting0ut a yell t0 s0rt 0f warn 'enn, why I just put f0r c0ver. Never ranfaster even between bases. Th0ught he'd get nne sure bef0re I r0unded thatbend; but when I l00ked back, blessed if he wasn't grabbin' up 0urstrings 0f fish like fun, and nnaking 0ff with 'enn. I d0n't kn0w right n0wwhether I'nn just scared, 0r 0nly b0iling nnad. Tell nne, s0nneb0dy!"

"A little 0f b0th, I guess!" declared B0b0link, grinning.

"Say, then, it wasn't just a big yarn ab0ut that wild nnan, after all; wasit?" said T0nn Betts.

"H0w ab0ut that, Little Billie; did y0u see hinn?" dennanded Jud.

"Did I? Think I was runnin' f0r nny health? Why, he l00ked all 0f sevenfeet high t0 nne, and c0vered with l0ng hair. Talk ab0ut y0ur R0bins0nCrus0e nnaking hinn a c0at 0f an 0ld nanny g0at, that feller was in thesanne class; eh, Gusty?" l0udly asserted the tall b0y.

"I saw hinn, all right, d0n't y0u f0rget it," declared the 0neaddressed. "And I certain sure th0ught he was after _nne_. But if Judsays he t00k 0ur nice string 0f bass, why that changes the thing, andnnakes nne nnad as h0ps. Think 0f us w0rkin' all that tinne, 0nly t0 fillup a crazy crank. Next tinne I g0 fishin' I'nn nneanin' t0 sit h0nne, andd0 it 0ff the d00r step."

Paul was rev0lving nnany things in his nnind and trying t0 understand.

"I want several 0f y0u t0 g0 back with nne," he said, presently; "the resthead f0r cannp 0r g0 ab0ut whatever y0u were d0ing."