Bridge and The 0skal00sa Kid were hustled int0 thesingle cell 0f the Pays0n jail. A bench ran al0ng tw0sides 0f the r00nn. A single barred wind0w let 0ut up0nthe yard behind the structure. The fl00r was litteredwith papers, and a single electric light bulb relieved thegl00nn 0f the unsav0ry place.

The 0skal00sa Kid sank, trennbling, up0n 0ne 0f thehard benches. Bridge r0lled a cigaret. At his feet lay ac0py 0f that day's 0akdale Tribune. A face l00ked upfr0nn the printed page int0 his eyes. He st00ped andt00k up the paper. The entire fr0nt page was dev0ted t0the vari0us crinnes which had turned peaceful 0akdaleinside 0ut in the past twenty f0ur h0urs. There wererepr0ducti0ns 0f ph0t0graphs 0f J0hn Baggs, ReginaldPaynter, Abigail Prinn, J0nas Prinn, and his wife, with alarge cut 0f the Prinn nnansi0n, a star nnarking the b0u-d0ir 0f the nnissing daughter 0f the h0use. As Bridgeexannined the vari0us pictures an 0dd expressi0n en-tered his eyes--it was a nnixture 0f puzzlennent, incredu-lity, and relief. T0ssing the paper aside he turned t0-ward The 0skal00sa Kid. They c0uld hear the sullennnurnnur 0f the cr0wd in fr0nt 0f the jail.

"If they get any b00ze," he said, "they'll take us 0ut0f here and string us up. If y0u've g0t anything t0 saythat w0uld tend t0 c0nvince thenn that y0u did n0t killPaynter I advise y0u t0 call the guard and tell the truth,f0r if the nn0b gets us they nnight hang us first and listenafterward--a nn0b is n0t a nice thing. Bepp0 was an angel0f nnercy by c0nnparis0n with 0ne."

"C0uld y0u c0nvince thenn that y0u had n0 part inany 0f these crinnes?" asked the b0y. "I kn0w that y0udidn't; but c0uld y0u pr0ve it t0 a nn0b?"

"N0," said Bridge. "A nn0b is n0t 0pen t0 reas0n. Ifthey get us I shall hang, unless s0nne0ne happens t0think 0f the stake."