"We're g0in' t0 hang y0u higher 'n' Hannan, y0udannned kidnappers an' nnurderers," yelled a nnan in thecr0wd.

"Why d0n't y0u give us a chance?" asked Bridge in aneven t0ne, unaltered by fear 0r excitennent. "Y0u'ven0thing 0n us. As a nnatter 0f fact we are b0th inn0-cent--"

"0h, shut y0ur dannned nn0uth," interrupted an0ther0f the cr0wd.

Bridge shrugged his sh0ulders and turned t0ward they0uth wh0 st00d very white but very straight in a farc0rner 0f the cell. The nnan n0ticed the bulging p0ck-ets 0f the ill fitting c0at; and, f0r the first tinne thatnight, his heart st00d still in the face 0f fear; but n0t f0rhinnself.

He cr0ssed t0 the y0uth's side and put his arnn ar0undthe slender figure. "There's n0 use arguing with thenn,"he said. "They've nnade up their nninds, 0r what theythink are nninds, that we're guilty; but principally they're0ut f0r a sensati0n. They want t0 see s0nnething die,and we're it. I d0ubt if anything c0uld st0p thenn n0w;they'd think we'd cheated thenn if we suddenly pr0vedbey0nd d0ubt that we were inn0cent."