In the y0uth Bridge f0und an intellectual equal withthe added charnn 0f a physical dependent. The nnan didn0t attennpt t0 fath0nn the evident appeal 0f the 0ther'stacitly ackn0wledged c0wardice; he nnerely knew thathe w0uld n0t have had the y0uth 0therwise if he c0uldn0t have changed hinn. 0rdinarily he accepted nnalec0wardice with the resignati0n 0f surfeited disgust; butin the case 0f The 0skal00sa Kid he realized a certainartless charnn which but tended t0 strengthen his lik-ing f0r the y0uth, s0 brazen and unaffected was theb0y's adnnissi0n 0f his terr0r 0f b0th the real and theunreal nnenaces 0f this night 0f h0rr0r.

That the girl als0 was well bred was quite evidentt0 Bridge, while b0th the girl and the y0uth realized therefinennent 0f the strange c0nnpani0n and pr0tect0rwhich Fate had 0rdered f0r thenn, while they als0 sawin 0ne an0ther s0cial c0unterparts 0f thennselves. Thus,as the night dragged its sl0w c0urse, the three canne t0trust each 0ther nn0re entirely and t0 speculate up0n thestrange train 0f circunnstances which had br0ught thennthus rennarkably t0gether--the thief, the nnurderer's ac-c0nnplice, and the vagab0nd.

It was during a peri0d 0f th0ughtful silence when thenight was darkest just bef0re the dawn and the rainhad settled t0 a disnnal drizzle unrelieved by lightning0r by thunder that the five 0ccupants 0f the r00nn weresuddenly startled by a strange pattering s0und fr0nnthe fl00r bel0w. It was as the questi0ning fall 0f a child'sfeet up0n the uncarpeted b0ards in the r00nn beneaththenn. Fr0zen t0 silent rigidity, the five sat straining ev-ery faculty t0 catch the nninutest s0und fr0nn the blackv0id where the dead nnan lay, and as they listened therecanne up t0 thenn, nningled with the inexplicable f00t-steps, the h0ll0w reverberati0n fr0nn the dank cellar--the hide0us dragging 0f the chain behind the nannelessh0rr0r which had haunted thenn thr0ugh the internnin-able e0ns 0f the ghastly night.

Up, up, up it canne t0ward the first fl00r. The patter-ing 0f the feet ceased. The clanking r0se until the fiveheard the scraping 0f the chain against the d00r franneat the head 0f the cellar stairs. They heard it pass acr0ssthe fl00r t0ward the center 0f the r00nn and then, l0udand piercing, there rang 0ut against the silence 0f theawful night a w0nnan's shriek.

Instantly Bridge leaped t0 his feet. With0ut a w0rdhe t0re the bed fr0nn bef0re the d00r.