t as well find out who it was I had
tracked and solve the mystery about the Indian head. That's the way
Pee-wee would have said it, "Solve the mystery!" He gets that kind of
talk out of books. The next-chapter is going to be a dandy and I
promised to let him give it a name, so don't blame me whatever it is.

So long.

CHAPTER XVI

NOBLE RAGS

"Good night!" I said to Pee-wee, "what kind of rags do you call those?"

"Didn't you ever hear of noble rags?" he yelled; "that shows how much
you know about story writing."

"Are they any relation to a dish rag?", I asked him.

"You think you're smart, don't you," he said; "do you know what a hero
is--a ragged hero?"

"Sure, a hero is a male shero," I told him; "you learn that in the
third grade. Just the same as a cowardice is a female coward."

"You make me sick!" he yelled.

"I've heard of gasoline rags and dish rags and wash rags," I kept up,
"but I never saw any noble ones. Have your own way. I should worry."

"It's a good name for a chapter," he said.

"I wouldn't know a noble rag if I met one in the street," I told him.
So that's how this chapter got it's name, and I don't know what it means
any more than you do. I suppose the next one will be called "Trash
Paper," or something like that.

Well, anyway, I stood on that doorstep for a few minutes, because I
didn't know what to do next. I was sure the fellow went in there, but
I didn't know where he went and anyway, I didn't, have any excuse to
hunt him out because I was only tracking him for a stunt. Anyway I
went in and when I got upstairs one flight I saw just a sign of that
print in the ball just in front of a door. The hall was all dirty and
greasy like. So by that I was pretty sure he had gone in there and you
see how I tracked him all the way from Marshtown landing. Then I made up
my mind that he sure wouldn't be mad if he knew I did it just for a stunt
and I'd tell him I was scouting. For just a minute I was scared, then I
gave a rap on the door.

Oh, but it was dark and it smelled bad in that hall. I guess they ought
to tear down that row of tenements. Pretty soon I rapped again, and I
felt kind of funny, because I didn't know what I ought to
say--especially if a woman opened it. All of a sudden it opened very
soft, and, good night I who should be standing there but--who do you
think?

Westy Martin.

Jiminetty, but wasn't I flabbergasted! Even as surprised as I was, I
looked down at his fe