The Mucker

sought a table; but as he was about to hang up h

n up a bit," he said, in a voice t

efore we left our room

w me," Bridge whis

rested. They would never take him alive, of that Billy was positive. He wouldn't go back to life imprisonment,

aw the m

s the street. He may not have seen you, but it looked almighty like it. He'll be down

ught of capture, for in the instant he had realized that it had not been so much his fr

ashroom. Before them was a window opening upon a squalid back yard. The building stood upon a hillside, so that wh

e bolt upon the inside of the door leading back into the restauran

rds he made his way, while Billy followed at his heels. Dus

ss portion of the city behind and were well out of the zone

wonder how I

your pocket-it fell out on the floor when you took you

rned that's the end of it-we won't mention it again,

tonight," Bil

ome little time without

I thought you was figurin' on double-crossin' me an' claimin' the five hun. I ought to of known bette

s-we're each runnin' away from something. We'll run together, eh?" and he extended his hand. "I

Bridge hadn't said what HE was running away

the line into Kansas, and morning found them in a beautiful, hilly country to which all thoughts of cities, crime, and police seemed so ut

ngled blades scintillated beneath the gorgeous rays which would present

He threw his head back and let the wa

hine in the

sings in

ins are a

ow to th

youth I'm

bertin

ing, a-w

the da

ir of the new day. Beside him, a head taller, savagely strong, stood Billy

try was like this, an' I don't know that I ever would have known

e a sissy an' think the thoughts they musta thought to write stuff that sends

t. I ain't any more an' haven't been for a long time; but before I took a tumble to myself I'd have hated you, Bridge.

for her-think of it, Bridge! I nearly did; but something stopped me-something held my hand from it, an' lately I've liked to think that maybe what stopped me was something in me that had always been there-something decent that was really a part of me. I hate to think that I was such a beast at heart

e lau

ted you as much as you would have hated me. I don't know that I should have said hate, for that is not exactly the word. It was more cont

nd I honestly believe now that in the bottom of my heart I considered them of different clay than

much since then, though I still stick to a part of my original articles of faith-I do believe that all men are not

a better man in that particular respect. I think none the less of you because you can't quote Browning

much; but whatever it is it gets you and me in the same way, and so in this respect we are equals. Which being th

night before in what two bits would purchase from a generous housewife on a near-by farm, and then, stretching themselves beneath

clambered laboriously over the fence and headed directly for the very tree under which Billy and Bridge lay sleeping. In t

nder circumstances that impressed some of their characteristics upon us. The very last we saw of them they were shuffling away in the

ze in them the objects of their recent hate. They just stood looking stupidly down o

h field for loot, and, too, the athletic figure of Byrne would rather have discouraged any at

eyes of one of the tramps narrowed to two ugly slits while

aiting for a reply he went on: "Dem's de guys dat beat u

asked th

'em a couple an' beat it," and he stooped t

t all. Dey may be de guys dat beats us up; but dat big stiff dere

all dat?" inquired the f

hes dis dick off'n de rattler an' makes his get-away. Dat peter-boy we meets at Quincy s

ya mean

s to de nex' farm an' calls up K

any o' dat five hun, do yo

scratche

thought; "dey don't nobody get nothin' dat de dicks s

bucks," said the other hopefu

have said as much himself. He had been sent west to identify a suspect whom the Kansas City authorities had arrested; but had been unable to do so, and had been preparing to return to hi

g in particular; but with eyes and ears alert as becomes a successful police

men. So, true to years of training, Sergeant Flannagan melted into the sh

shed upon him-the big fellow was Billy Byrne, and

erground restaurant. Sergeant Flannagan saw Byrne's companion turn and look b

panion. The trail had ceased at the open window of the washroom at the rear of

nswering the descriptions Flannagan had been able t

ence, and already a dozen men were scouring such sections of Kansas City

what progress, if any, had been made. He had just learned that three su

r; but in a manner registering his private opinion of the mental horse power and efficiency of the Kansas City sleuths, for of the three one was a past

ching forth into a vitriolic arraignment of everything west of Chicago up to and including, specifically, the Kansas City detective b

al questions and then, placing a fat hand over th

e's a bo on the wire that says he's just seen your man down nea

yawned and

n there I'll find he's corraled a nigger," and he l

Byrne well, an' that he's got it in for him. Shal

Flannagan, and after the chief had transmitted the message, a

ross the line, an' there won't be no trouble in getting ba

is visions of five hundred alr

t of Kansas City with Detective Sergeant Flannagan in the front seat wi