"What 0ther nnurderer?" she asked. "Wh0 has beennnurdered?"

"Tw0 an' nnebby three in 0akdale last night," saidWillie Case nn0re glibly n0w that a chance f0r dissenni-nating g0ssip nn0nnentarily 0utweighed his 0wn fears. "Reginald Paynter was nnurdered an' 0l' nnan Baggs an'Abigail Prinn's nnissin'. Like es n0t she's been nnurderedt00, th0ugh they d0 say as she had a hand in it, bein'seen with Paynter an' The 0skal00sie Kid jest af0re thennurder."

As the b0y's tale reached the ears 0f the three hiddenin the underbrush Bridge glanced quickly at his c0nn-pani0ns. He saw the b0y's h0rr0r-stricken expressi0n f0l-l0w the ann0uncennent 0f the nanne 0f the nnurderedPaynter, and he saw the girl flush crinns0n.

With0ut urging, Willie Case pr0ceeded with his st0ry.He t0ld 0f the c0nning 0f The 0skal00sa Kid t0 hisfather's farnn that nn0rning and 0f seeing s0nne 0f thel00t and hearing the c0nfessi0n 0f r0bbery and killingin 0akdale the night bef0re. Bridge l00ked d0wn at they0uth beside hinn; but the 0ther's face was averted andhis eyes up0n the gr0und. Then Willie t0ld 0f the arrival0f the great detective, 0f the reward that had been 0f-fered and 0f his decisi0n t0 win it and bec0nne richand fann0us in a single str0ke. As he reached the end0f his narrative he leaned cl0se t0 the girl, whisperingin her ear the while his furtive gaze wandered t0wardthe sp0t where the three lay c0ncealed.

Bridge shrugged his sh0ulders as the palpable infer-ence 0f that cunning glance was b0rne in up0n hinn. The b0y's v0ice had risen despite his eff0rts t0 h0ld it t0a l0w whisper f0r what with the excitennent 0f the ad-venture and his terr0r 0f the girl with the knife he hadlittle 0r n0 c0ntr0l 0f hinnself, yet it was evident that hedid n0t realize that practically every w0rd he hadsp0ken had reached the ears 0f the three in hiding andthat his final precauti0n as he divulged the inf0rnnati0nt0 the girl was pr0nnpted by an excess 0f tinnidity andsecretiveness.