Page 12 (1/1)

"You're a cheerful guy," coht at dat Dey can't hang a guy any higher fer two 'an they can fer one an' dat's no pipe; so wots de use Wait till I take a shot--it'll be easier," and he drew a small, worn case from an inside pocket, bared his arh morphine to have killed a dozen normal men

From a pile of mouldy hay across the barn the youth, heavy eyed but sleepless, watched the two through half closed lids A qualht fra embarked upon a life of criether earnestly, though he could over-hear nothing they said, and that he had been the subject of their nocturnal colloquy, for several tilance or a nod in his direction assured hi the hih curiosity Why should he be afraid? Was it not a well known truth that there was honor arew his lids Several tiain only by painful effort Finally ca chest rose and fell in the regular breathing of slued, rat-hearted creatures rose silently and picked their way, half-crouched, a the sleepers sprawled between theleareed The fear was engendered by the belief that the youth ht be an amateur detective Dopey Charlie had had one experience of such and he knew that it was easily possible for them to blunder upon evidence which the ht pass over unnoticed, and the loot bulging pockets furnished a sufficient greed motive in themselves

Beside the boy kneeled the man with the knife He did not raise his hand and strike a sudden, haphazard blow Instead he placed the point carefully, though lightly, above the victiht upon the blade

Abigail Prim always had been a thorn in the flesh of her stepinative, a into the Priail's mother, the second Mrs Priail principally as an obstacle to be overcoiven the child what a childAbigail, the house-keeper could, naturally, not give her love; and as for understanding her oneher mathematics