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"Can't yuh take a kid?" he inquired "I knew youse all along Yuh can't fool an old bird like The Sky Pilot--eh, boys?" and he turned to his comrades for confirmation

"He's The Oskaloosa Kid," exclaimed one of the company "I'd know 'im anywheres"

"Pull up and set down," invited another

The boy stuffed his loot back into his pockets and came closer to the fire Its war chill He looked about higested a Kuppenoose, others in rags, all but one unshaven and all more or less dirty--for the open road is close to Nature, which is principally dirt

"Shake hands with Dopey Charlie," said The Sky Pilot, whose age and corpulency appeared to stamp him with the hallinto the sullen, chalk-white face and taking the clammy hand extended toward hiure or was itof the bodily cold before the gloarmth of the blaze? "And Soup Face," continued The Sky Pilot A battered wreck half rose and extended a pudgy hand Red whiskers, redients of an infinite procession of semi-liquid refreshments, rioted promiscuously over a scarlet countenance

"Pleased to meetcha," sprayed Soup Face It was a strained smile which twisted the rather too perfect mouth of The Oskaloosa Kid, an appellation which we must, perforce, accept since the youth did not deny it

Columbus Blackie, The General, and Dirty Eddie were formally presented As Dirty Eddie was, physically, the cleanest member of the band the youth wondered how he had come by his sobriquet--that is, he wondered until he heard Dirty Eddie speak, after which he was no longer in doubt The Oskaloosa Kid, self-confessed 'tralar, flushed at the lurid obscenity of Dirty Eddie's reuess you're a regular all right Here, have a snifter?" and he pulled a flask fro it toward The Oskaloosa Kid

"Thank you, but;--er--I'on, you know," declined the youth

"Have a sested Colue in the attitude of the men toward hi hih the dark and desolate farm lands human companionship of any kind was to him as the proverbial straw to the man who rocked the boat once too often