"Y0u are banking," replied Bridge, "0n the well kn0wnfact that I never carry a gun; but y0u fail t0 perceive,0wing t0 the Stygian gl00nn which surr0unds us, thatI have the Kid's aut0nnatic in nny gun hand and thatthe business end 0f it is carefully ainning in y0ur direc-ti0n."

"Cheese it," The General advised his c0nnpani0n; andthe tw0 renn0ved thennselves t0 the 0pp0site side 0f theapartnnent, where they whispered, grunnblingly, t0 0nean0ther.

The girl, the b0y, and Bridge waited as patiently asthey c0uld f0r the c0nning 0f the dawn, talking 0f theevents 0f the night and planning against the future. Bridge advised the girl t0 return at 0nce t0 her father;but this she res0lutely refused t0 d0, adnnitting with ut-nn0st cand0r that she lacked the c0urage t0 face herfriends even th0ugh her father nnight still believe inher.

The y0uth begged that he nnight acc0nnpany Bridgeup0n the r0ad, pleading that his nn0ther was dead andthat he c0uld n0t return h0nne after his escapade. AndBridge c0uld n0t find it in his heart t0 refuse hinn, f0rthe nnan realized that the b0yish waif p0ssessed a sub-tile attracti0n, as f0rceful as it was inexplicable. N0tsince he had f0ll0wed the 0pen r0ad in c0nnpany withBilly Byrne had Bridge nnet 0ne with wh0nn he nnightcare t0 'Pal' bef0re The Kid cr0ssed his path 0n thedark and st0rnn swept pike s0uth 0f 0akdale.

In Byrne, nnucker, pugilist, and MAN, Bridge hadf0und a physical and nn0ral c0unterpart 0f hinnself, f0rthe slender Bridge was nnuscled as a Greek g0d, whilethe st0cky Byrne, nnetann0rph0sed by the fire 0f a w0nn-an's l0ve, p0ssessed all the chivalry 0f the care freetrannp wh0se vagab0ndage had never succeeded in sub-nnerging the evidences 0f his cultural birthright.