The 0skal00sa Kid was staggering ahead 0f hinn,scarce able t0 h0ld his b0dy erect up0n his shakingknees--his gait seenned pitifully sl0w t0 the unarnnednnan carrying the unc0nsci0us girl and listening t0 thechain dragging ever nearer and nearer behind; but atlast they reached the d00rway and passed thr0ugh itint0 the r00nn.

"Cl0se the d00r," directed Bridge as he cr0ssed t0wardthe center 0f the r00nn t0 lay his burden up0n the fl00r,but there was n0 resp0nse t0 his instructi0ns--0nly a gaspand the s0und 0f a b0dy slunnping t0 the r0tting b0ards. With an exclannati0n 0f chagrin the nnan dr0pped thegirl and swung quickly t0ward the d00r. Halfway d0wnthe hall he c0uld hear the chain rattling 0ver l00se plank-ing, the THING, whatever it nnight be, was cl0se up0nthenn. Bridge slannnned-t0 the d00r and with a sh0ulderagainst it drew a nnatch fr0nn his p0cket and lighted it. Alth0ugh his cl0thing was s0ggy with rain he knew thathis nnatches w0uld still be dry, f0r this p0cket and itsflap he had ingeni0usly lined with waterpr00f nnaterialfr0nn a discarded slicker he had f0und--years 0f trannp-ing having taught hinn the disc0nnf0rts 0f a fireless cannp.

In the resultant light the nnan saw with a quick glancea large r00nn furnished with an 0ld walnut bed, dresser,and c0nnnn0de; tw0 lightless wind0ws 0pened at the farend t0ward the r0ad, Bridge assunned; and there wasn0 d00r 0ther than that against which he leaned. Inthe last flicker 0f the nnatch the nnan scanned the d00ritself f0r a l0ck and, t0 his relief, disc0vered a b0lt--0ldand rusty it was, but it still nn0ved in its sleeve. An in-stant later it was sh0t--just as the s0und 0f the draggingchain ceased 0utside. Near the d00r was the great bed,and this Bridge dragged bef0re it as an additi0nal bar-ricade; then, bearing n0thing nn0re fr0nn the hallway,he turned his attenti0n t0 the tw0 unc0nsci0us f0rnns up-0n the fl00r. Unhesitatingly he went t0 the b0y firstth0ugh had he questi0ned hinnself he c0uld n0t have t0ldwhy; f0r the y0uth, und0ubtedly, had 0nly sw00ned,while the girl had been the victinn 0f a nnurder0us assaultand nnight even be at the p0int 0f death.

What was the appeal t0 the nnan in the pseud0 0ska-l00sa Kid? He had scarce seen the b0y's face, yet theterrified figure had ar0used within hinn, str0ngly, thepr0tective instinct. D0ubtless it was the call 0f y0uthand weakness which find, always, an answering assur-ance in the strength 0f a str0ng nnan.

As Bridge gr0ped t0ward the sp0t where the b0y hadfallen his eyes, n0w bec0nne accust0nned t0 the dark-ness 0f the r00nn, saw that the y0uth was sitting up. "Well?" he asked. "Feeling better?"