ned when he heard the running feet behind him, however.
His first impulse seemed to be to take to his heels. But the
young jailbird quickly changed his mind, and turned to face them,
an inquisitive look on his hard cunning face.

"Good evenin', fellers. Where's the fire?" he hailed.

"In my eyes! See it?" demanded Dave Darrin. His dark eyes certainly
were flashing as he reached out and seized Tip by one shoulder.

"Now don't ye git festive with _me_!" warned Tip.

"Oh, we don't feel ready for anything more festive than a lynching
party," muttered Dave, hotly. "See here, you-----"

"I s'pose ye think ye can do all ye wanter to me, jest because
I've been doin' my stretch?" demanded Tip, aggressively. "But
don't be too sure. Take yer hand offen my shoulder!"

Dave didn't show any sign of immediate intention of complying.

"_Take it off_!" insisted Tip.

But Dave met the fellow's baleful gaze with a cool, steady look.
Tip, muttering something, edged away from under Dave's extended
hand.

"Now, ye wanter understand," continued young Scammon, "that I
can't be played with, jest because some folks think I'm down.
If you come fooling around me you'll have to explain or apologize."

"Tip," questioned Dave Darrin, sharply, "why did you just throw
two brickbats at Dick Prescott's head?"

"I didn't," retorted Tip, stolidly.

"You _did_."

"I didn't."

"Tip," declared Dave, solemnly, "I won't call you a liar. I'll
just remark that you and truth are strangers."

"I ain't interested in what you fellers got to say," flared Tip,
sullenly. "And I don't like your company, neither. So jest skate
along."

"We're not going to linger with you, Tip, any longer than seems
absolutely necessary," promised Dave, coolly. "But what I want
to say is this: If you make any more attempts to do Dick Prescott
any harm our crowd will get you, no matter how far we have to
go to find you. Is that clear?"

"I s'pose it is, if you say so," sneered young Scammon.

"We'll get you," pursued Dave, "and we'll turn you over to the
authorities. One citizen like Dick Prescott is worth more than
a million of your stamp. If we find you up to any more tricks
against Dick Prescott, or against any of us, for that matter,
we'll soon have you doing your second 'stretch,' as you have learned
to call a term at the penitentiary. Tip, your best card will
be to turn over a very new leaf, and find an honest job. Just
because you've been in j