sy. He did just whatever I wanted him
to. You'll find every cent of the money in my pocket, because I never
had a ghost of a chance to spend any of it. That's all, son. Now you
understand what ails the silly fool."

Hen Condit had listened to this, at first with that look of abject pain
on his face. Then as the substance of the man's confession dawned upon
his mind he began to exhibit fresh interest that caused another
expression, that of wild hope, to swiftly take the place of despair on
his countenance.

"Oh! do you mean then, Joe, that your pal didn't die after all?
Please, oh please, tell me that, and I'll forgive you for everything
mean you've done to me!" he begged.

"The last I saw of the tramp," the prisoner told him, "he was settled
in an empty freight car, and bound for the city. He was as frisky as
ever then. I'd have joined him only I didn't want to pull up broke in
the city; and I thought there ought to be some rich pickings for a
clever crook around these regions. That's where I made my one big
mistake. And now I'm going to take my medicine. That's all from me,
you hear. Only I say, kid, you're lucky to have such a fine lot of
chums to help you out of a bad scrape!"

CHAPTER XVI

CONCLUSION

"I can hardly believe it's true," muttered Hen Condit, helplessly, as
he looked around him at the beaming faces of his seven loyal chums;
"just seems to me as if I'd wake up and find it only a lovely dream."

"Well, it isn't, just the same, Hen," said Lil Artha, as he wrung the
other's cold hand as though it had been a pump handle, and he the
honest milkman; "the money's been recovered, every cent of it, and like
as not there's some sort of a reward out for the recapture of this gent
here, who broke jail with a pair of handcuffs on his wrists which he
filed off weeks ago up in this same swamp. And if there is, you share
with us in that, Hen, remember."

"But I didn't do a single thing to get him, and that wouldn't be fair!"
weakly protested the relieved boy, with his arm linked in that of
Elmer, upon whom he seemed to lean in this dreadful crisis of his young
life.

"Didn't hey?" snorted Toby; "I guess you _lured him along_; then again
and helped to blind his eyes while we crept noiselessly closer and
closer. Sure you deserve part of the reward, Hen, providing there is
any up."

At hearing that unique remark, the prisoner burst into a hearty laugh.
Evidently, "Joe," having made up his m