e suspicious things connected with the actions of
Brother Lu that he did not wholly like.

A minute passed, two of them, which doubtless seemed like so many
hours to the confident Thad. Then they again saw the late hobo
coming out. Thad stared harder than ever, and his heart felt like
lead.

What did it mean? he asked himself. Brother Lu did not have his hat
on, nor was he carrying any sort of hastily thrown together bundle.
In fact, he showed not the first sign of the dreadful alarm Thad
had anticipated.

He still carried the weekly paper in his hand as though he meant to
look over that wonderful article of Jim's again. And what he had
really darted into the house after was evident; for in the other
hand he carried Mr. Hosmer's only good pipe, as well as his tobacco
bag, now getting woefully depleted of its prized contents.

Then, as if totally unaware of the fact that three pairs of eyes
were glued upon his every slightest move, Brother Lu calmly filled
the pipe, struck a match on the sole of Brother-in-law Andrew's
shoe, applied the flame to the contents of the pipe bowl, and puffed
out a cloud of blue smoke with all the assurance in the world.
Thad nearly took a fit trying to hold in; the fact was Hugh felt
constrained to lay a warning hand on his chum's arm to keep him from
bursting out in such a manner as to betray them to the smug hobo.

Brother Lu read the article again from beginning to end. Then he
smote his knee with his open palm several times, and they could
actually hear him chuckle, as if he might be highly amused. All
this rather puzzled Jim, who had fully anticipated seeing the intruder
making a bee-line for the railroad. Perhaps he even began to wonder
whether, after all, he might not have "laid it on a little thicker"
when writing up that story about the grim Texan marshal.

Presently Matilda was heard calling to Brother Lu, who, leaving his
hammock, sauntered into the house with all the airs of one who had
arranged to take life easy from that time on.

"Hey! let's beat it," mumbled the keenly disappointed Jim Pettigrew.
"I've got heaps to do at the office; and I seem to tumble to the fact
that, after all, our big game didn't pan out just as was expected."

Thad did not have a single word to say just then. He was, in fact,
too dazed to collect his thoughts. But Hugh's active mind was grappling
with the matter, and he apparently seemed able to figure things out.

They retreated in