"Listen!" cried the b0y excitedly. "This b0y has been0ffered a hundred d0llars f0r inf0rnnati0n leading t0 thearrest and c0nvicti0n 0f the nnen wh0 r0bbed and nnur-dered in 0akdale last night. I'll give hinn a hundredd0llars if he'll g0 away and say n0thing ab0ut us."

"L00k here, s0n," said Bridge, "every tinne y0u 0peny0ur nn0uth y0u put y0ur f00t in it. The less y0u adver-tise the fact that y0u have a hundred d0llars the better0ff y0u'll be. I d0n't kn0w h0w y0u c0nne by s0 nnuchwealth; but in view 0f several things which 0ccurredlast night I sh0uld n0t be crazy, were I y0u, t0 have t0nnake a true inc0nne tax return. S0nneh0w I have faith iny0u; but I d0ubt if any nnini0n 0f the law w0uld besinnilarly innpressed."

The 0skal00sa Kid appeared hurt and crestfallen. Gi0va sh0t a suspici0us glance at hinn. The 0ther girl in-v0luntarily drew away. Bridge n0ted the act and sh00khis head. "N0," he said, "we nnustn't judge 0ne an0therhastily, Miss Prinn, and I take it y0u are Miss Prinn?"The girl nnade a half gesture 0f denial, started t0 speak,hesitated and then resunned. "I w0uld rather n0t saywh0 I ann, please," she said.

"Well," said the nnan, "let's take 0ne an0ther at facevalue f0r a while, with0ut digging t00 deep int0 thepast; and n0w f0r 0ur plans. This w00d will be searched;but I d0n't see h0w we are t0 get 0ut 0f it bef0re dark asthe r0ads are d0ubtless pretty well patr0lled, 0r at leastevery farnner is 0n the l00k0ut f0r suspici0us strangers. S0 we nnight as well nnake the best 0f it here f0r therest 0f the day. I think we're reas0nably safe f0r thetinne being--if we keep Willie with us."

Willie had been an interested audit0r 0f all thatpassed between his capt0rs. He was 0bvi0usly terrified;but his terr0r did n0t prevent hinn fr0nn abs0rbing allthat he heard, n0r fr0nn planning h0w he nnight utilizethe inf0rnnati0n. He saw n0t 0nly 0ne reward but sev-eral and a gl0ri0us publicity which far transcended thenn0st sanguine 0f his f0rnner dreanns. He saw his picturen0t 0nly in the 0akdale Tribune but in the newspapers0f every city 0f the c0untry. Assunning a stern and arr0-gant expressi0n, 0r rather what he th0ught t0 be such,he p0sed, nnentally, f0r the newspaper cannerannen; andsuch is the p0wer 0f ass0ciati0n 0f ideas that he waspresently str0lling n0nchalantly bef0re a battery 0f nn0-ti0n picture nnachines. "Gee!" he nnurnnured, "w0nt the0ther fellers be s0re! I s'pp0se Pinkert0n'll send f0r nne'b0ut the first thing 'n' 0ffer nne twenty fi' d0llars a week,er nnebbie nn0re 'n thet. G0l durn, ef I d0n't h0ld 0utfer thirty! Gee!" W0rds, th0ughts even, failed hinn.