rty, was of short duration, for we suddenly
became serious and anxious about the return of "the kid." An hour passed
and no kid, and--still worse--no shirts.

We walked the floor, opened the door and looked towards the stair-way,
then raised the window curtain and peeked out upon the street, hoping to
get a glimpse of him.

Another half hour passed, and no "kid." We imagined everything that
could have befallen him.

Two hours passed; another half hour--and we had been imprisoned two
hours and-a-half--and it was now about supper time.

A few moments later I opened the door, and looking towards the
stair-way, discovered "the kid," leaning over the bannister, gazing
vacantly in the direction of our room.

I yelled:

"Come here, kid! For Heaven's sake, what's up?"

"Yer never'll git me inter de room, ter be pitched out de winder," he
replied.

"No, no," we said, "come in; come in and explain. We won't harm you.
Come in."

He then ventured in, very cautiously, and explained:

"Well, sir gemmen, de ole gal nailed 'em all, spite of eb'ry ting I
could do; she got de whole shootin' match, and I didn't know whedder to
come back or not."

"Heavens and earth! Frank; what are we going to do now?" I asked.

[Illustration: HEAVENS AND EARTH! FRANK; WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO
NOW?--PAGE 193.]

"Well," said he, "this has been a great scheme of yours. That's a great
head, yours. Guess we're stuck for good, this time."

"The kid" said he guessed he'd have to go to supper.

We told him we guessed he'd not go to supper till he got us out of that
shirt scrape. "Remember your oath, you young hyena," I said.

He answered: "That's so; guess I'll have to go without my supper,
to-night."

At last, after many schemes had been devised and rejected, we hit upon
one that helped us out. We demanded of "the kid" that he take off his
shirt; and after donning his coat and vest, instructed him to throw back
his coat-collar, and go down street to some furnishing-goods dealer, and
either beg, or buy on credit, a shirt. We began telling him what to say,
when he headed us off with:

"Oh, whatcher givin' us? I guess I know how ter give 'em der stiff," and
started.

He called on several dealers; and after giving "De song and dance,"
finally made a raise of a new shirt.

We asked what the man said when he called for such a large size?

"Oh, de ole hoosier neber tumbled at all, but just planked 'er out, and
said: 'If yer eber git any mon