but in view of several things which occurred last night I should
not be crazy, were I you, to have to make a true income tax return.
Somehow I have faith in you; but I doubt if any minion of the law would
be similarly impressed."

The Oskaloosa Kid appeared hurt and crestfallen. Giova shot a suspicious
glance at him. The other girl involuntarily drew away. Bridge noted the
act and shook his head. "No," he said, "we mustn't judge one another
hastily, Miss Prim, and I take it you are Miss Prim?" The girl made a
half gesture of denial, started to speak, hesitated and then resumed. "I
would rather not say who I am, please," she said.

"Well," said the man, "let's take one another at face value for a while,
without digging too deep into the past; and now for our plans. This wood
will be searched; but I don't see how we are to get out of it before
dark as the roads are doubtless pretty well patrolled, or at least every
farmer is on the lookout for suspicious strangers. So we might as
well make the best of it here for the rest of the day. I think we're
reasonably safe for the time being--if we keep Willie with us."

Willie had been an interested auditor of all that passed between his
captors. He was obviously terrified; but his terror did not prevent him
from absorbing all that he heard, nor from planning how he might utilize
the information. He saw not only one reward but several and a glorious
publicity which far transcended the most sanguine of his former dreams.
He saw his picture not only in the Oakdale Tribune but in the newspapers
of every city of the country. Assuming a stern and arrogant expression,
or rather what he thought to be such, he posed, mentally, for the
newspaper cameramen; and such is the power of association of ideas
that he was presently strolling nonchalantly before a battery of motion
picture machines. "Gee!" he murmured, "wont the other fellers be sore!
I s'ppose Pinkerton'll send for me 'bout the first thing 'n' offer me
twenty fi' dollars a week, er mebbie more 'n thet. Gol durn, ef I don't
hold out fer thirty! Gee!" Words, thoughts even, failed him.

As the others planned they rather neglected Willie and when they came to
assisting Giova in lowering her father into the grave and covering him
over with earth they quite forgot Willie entirely. It was The Oskaloosa
Kid who first thought of him. "Where's the boy?" he cried suddenly. The
others looked quickly about the clearing, but no Willie was to b