ked along the main street of Scranton, meeting many persons
whom they knew, and most of them ready with a cheery nod or a word of
recognition, for both lads were well liked by the best people of the
community, and particularly those who knew boy nature best, so that
they could appreciate what manly fellows the chums were.

"You're a sanguine sort of chap, Thad," laughed Hugh. "Right now
you believe we've as good as got Brother Lu on the run for the tall
timber. Don't be too sure, or you may be disappointed. There's many
a slip, remember, between cup and lip. But Jim took to the game like
a terrier does to a rat, didn't he?"

"It was right in Jim's favorite line of business," explained the
other. "He fairly dotes on writing up imaginary things, and making
them seem real. He says it's his long suit, whatever he means by
that. I only hope he doesn't make it seem too ridiculous, and so
overdo the matter."

Hugh seemed to have pretty fair confidence in Jim's judgment.

"He's a clever chap," he remarked, "and will know just where to
draw the line. I could that already he had drawn upon his imagination
to supply him with something in place of facts. It'll be a thrilling
bit of reading, and ought to give our pet aversion a cold shiver
when he gets its import. Having Marshal Hastings come away up here
after him will upset all Brother Lu's plans for a soft berth during
the remainder of his fast-ebbing life; and he may suddenly determine
that it's better to run away and live to eat another day, than to
try and stick it out here, and be landed in a Texas jail."

"It'll seem an awful long time till tomorrow comes," sighed the
impatient Thad. "We told him we'd be around by nine in the morning,
didn't we? Well, let's call it eight-and-a-half, then. He may
be able to get off earlier than he expects, and that would cut Brother
Lu out of another meal at the expense of Matilda, whose supplies must
be running low by now, I should judge, and her money ditto in the
bargain."

"Have it your own way, Thad, and drop in for me," said Hugh. "In the
midst of all this fuss and feathers over that miserable hobo, we
mustn't forget we promised to be on hand in the afternoon to play
on the team against Mechanicsville; for you know there has been a
switch, and the programme changed. That team is considered a
strong aggregation from the mills over there, and, we may get our
fingers burned unless we are careful. After knocking Belle