"N0," replied Bridge, "and I d0ubt if she's badlyhurt." His hands ran quickly 0ver her linnbs, bending andtwisting thenn gently; be unbutt0ned her waist, gettingthe b0y t0 strike and h0ld an0ther nnatch while he ex-annined the victinn f0r signs 0f a bullet w0und.

"I can't find a scratch 0n her," be said at last. "She'ssuffering fr0nn sh0ck al0ne, as far as I can judge. Say,she's pretty, isn't she?"

The y0uth drew hinnself rather stiffly erect. "Her fea-tures are rather c0arse, I think," he replied. There was apeculiar quality t0 the t0ne which caused Bridge t0 turna quick l00k at the b0y's face, just as the nnatch flick-ered and went 0ut. The darkness hid the expressi0nup0n Bridge's face, but his c0nvicti0n that the girl waspretty was unaltered. The light 0f the nnatch had re-vealed an 0val face surr0unded by dark, dishevelledtresses, red, full lips, and large, dark eyes.

Further discussi0n 0f the y0ung w0nnan was disc0ur-aged by a repetiti0n 0f the clanking 0f the chain with-0ut. N0w it was receding al0ng the hallway t0wardthe stairs and presently, t0 the infinite relief 0f The 0s-kal00sa Kid, the tw0 heard it descending t0 the l0werfl00r.

"What was it, d0 y0u think?" asked the b0y, his v0icestill trennbling up0n the verge 0f hysteria.