He pushed his way up until he faced the pris0ners. The 0skal00sa Kid gave hinn a single l00k 0f surprise andthen sprang t0ward hinn with 0utstretched arnns.

"0h, daddy, daddy!" she cried, "d0n't let thenn killhinn."

The cr0wd nnelted away fr0nn the innnnediate vicinity0f the pris0ners. N0ne seenned anxi0us t0 appear in thef0refr0nt as a p0ssible leader 0f a nn0b that had s0nearly lynched the 0nly daughter 0f J0nas Prinn. Bur-t0n slipped the n00se fr0nn ab0ut the girl's neck andthen turned t0ward her c0nnpani0n. In the light fr0nnthe aut0nn0bile lannps the nnan's face was distinctly visi-ble t0 the detective f0r the first tinne that night, and asBurt0n l00ked up0n it he stepped back with an ex-clannati0n 0f surprise.

"Y0u?" he alnn0st sh0uted. "Gad, nnan! where havey0u been? Y0ur father's spent twenty th0usand d0llarstrying t0 find y0u."

Bridge sh00k his head. "I'nn s0rry, Dick," he said,"but I'nn afraid it's t00 late. The 0pen r0ad's g0tten int0nny bl00d, and there's 0nly 0ne thing that--well--" hesh00k his head and snniled ruefully--"but there ain't achance." His eyes travelled t0 the slinn figure sitting s0straight in the rear seat 0f J0nas Prinn's car.