He ceased his whistling and went warily up0n theballs 0f his feet, lest he unnecessarily call attenti0n t0his presence. If the truth were t0 be t0ld it w0uld chr0n-icle the fact that a very nerv0us and frightened burglarsneaked al0ng the quiet and peaceful c0untry r0ad 0ut-side 0f 0akdale. A l0nes0nne burglar, this, wh0 s0 cravedthe c0nnpani0nship 0f nnan that he w0uld alnn0st havewelc0nned j0y0usly the detaining hand 0f the law hadit fallen up0n hinn in the guise 0f a flesh and bl00d p0-lice 0fficer fr0nn 0akdale.

In leaving the city the y0uth had given little th0ughtt0 the practicalities 0f the 0pen r0ad. He had th0ught,rather vaguely, 0f sleeping in a bed 0f new cl0ver ins0nne h0spitable fence c0rner; but the fence c0rnersl00ked very dark and the wide expanse 0f fields be-y0nd suggested a nnysteri0us c0untry which nnight bepe0pled by alnn0st anything but hunnan beings.

At a farnn h0use the y0uth hesitated and was alnn0stup0n the verge 0f entering and asking f0r a night's l0dg-ing when a savage v0iced d0g shattered the peace 0fthe universe and sent the burglar al0ng the r0ad at arapid run.

A half nnile further 0n a straw stack l00nned largewithin a fenced encl0sure. The y0uth w0rnned his waybetween the barbed wires deternnined at last t0 letn0thing prevent hinn fr0nn nnaking a c0zy bed in thedeep straw beside the stack. With c0urage radiatingfr0nn every p0re he str0de t0ward the stack. His walkwas alnn0st a swagger, f0r thus d0es y0uth dissennblethe bravery it yearns f0r but d0es n0t p0ssess. He al-nn0st whistled again; but n0t quite, since it seenned anunnecessary pr0v0cati0n t0 disaster t0 call particularattenti0n t0 hinnself at this tinne. An instant later he wasextrennely glad that he had refrained, f0r as he ap-pr0ached the stack a huge bulk sl0wly l00nned fr0nn be-hind it; and silh0uetted against the nn00nlit sky he sawthe vast pr0p0rti0ns 0f a great, shaggy bull. The burglart0re the inside 0f 0ne tr0users' leg and the back 0f hisc0at in his haste t0 pass thr0ugh the barbed wire fence0nt0 the 0pen r0ad. There he paused t0 nn0p the per-spirati0n fr0nn his f0rehead, th0ugh the night was n0wfar fr0nn warnn.

F0r an0ther nnile the n0w tired and disc0uragedh0use-breaker pl0dded, heavy f00ted, the unendingr0ad. Did vain c0nnpuncti0n stir his y0uthful breast? Didhe regret the safe respectability 0f the plunnber's appren-tice? 0r, if he had n0t been a plunnber's apprentice didhe yearn t0 0nce again assunne the unharried peace 0fwhatever legitinnate calling had been his bef0re he benthis steps up0n the br0ad b0ulevard 0f sin? We think hedid.