Crash! Crash! Crash! The lights faded, darkened, went
out. Yells and scraping chairs and overturned tables, breaking glass,
pounding boots merged in a pandemonium of sound.

Pan hurried through the dance hall, where the windows gave dim light,
found the doorway, gained the side entrance to the street. Blinky
waited there, smoking guns in his hands.

"Heah--this--way," he directed in a panting whisper, as he sheathed the
guns, and took the lead. Pan followed in the shadow of the houses.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The street down that way was dark, with but few lights showing. Blinky
kept looking back in the direction of the slowly subsiding tumult. Pan
carried Louise at rapid pace, as if she made no burden at all. In the
middle of the next block Blinky slowed up, carefully scrutinizing the
entrances to the buildings. They came to an open hallway, dimly
lighted. Pan read a sign he remembered. This was the lodging house.

"Go in, Blink," directed Pan quickly. "If you find our parson chase
everybody but him and call me pronto."

Blinky ran into the place. Pan let Louise down on her feet. She could
not stand alone.

"Cowboy--smozzer me," she giggled, pulling at the fold of blanket round
her face.

Pan rearranged the blanket over her bare shoulders, and folded it round
more like a coat. He feared she might collapse before they could
accomplish their design. The plight of this girl struck deeply into
his heart.

"Whaz--mazzer, cowboy?" she asked. "Somebody's raid us?"

"Hush, Louie," whispered Pan shaking her. "There'll be a gang after
us."

"Hell with gang.... Shay, Pan, whaz become of Dick?"

She was so drunk she did not remember. Pan thanked God for that! How
white the tragic face! Her big eyes resembled bottomless gulfs. Her
hair hung disheveled round her.

A low whistle made Pan jump. Blinky stood inside in a flare of light
from an open door. He beckoned. Pan lifted the girl and carried her
in.

Five minutes later they came out, one on each side of Louise, trying to
keep her quiet. She was gay, maudlin. But once outside again, the
rush of cold mountain air aided them. They hurried down the dark
street, almost carrying the girl between them. A few people passed,
fortunately on the other side. These pedestrians were hurrying in the
other direction. Some excitement uptown, Pan thought grimly! Soon
they passed the outskirts of Marco and gained the open country. Pan
cast o