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"Just lead me to a beanery "Where there's something more than only air to chew." The two looked up, smiling. "You're a funny kind of tramp, to be quoting poetry," said The Oskaloosa Kid, "even if it is Knibbs'." "Almost as funny," replied Bridge, "as a burglar who recognizes Knibbs when he hears him." The Oskaloosa Kid flushed. "He wrote for us of the open road," he replied quickly.
The floor was littered with papers, and a single electric light bulb relieved the gloom of the unsavory place. The Oskaloosa Kid sank, trembling, upon one of the hard benches. Bridge rolled a cigaret. At his feet lay a copy of that day's Oakdale Tribune. A face looked up from the printed page into his eyes. He stooped and took up the paper.
"Please don't ask me," begged the boy. "I can't; honestly I can't." "Is it as bad as that?" asked the man. "Oh, its worse," cried The Oskaloosa Kid. "It's a thousand times worse. Don't make me tell you, for if I do tell I shall have to leave you, and and, oh, Bridge, I don't want to leave you ever!"
The THING had reached the head of the stairs when Bridge dragged the bed aside and drew the bolt. Instantly two figures hurled themselves into the room but turned immediately to help Bridge resecure the doorway. Just as it had done before, when Bridge and The Oskaloosa Kid had taken refuge there with the girl, the THING moved down the hallway to the closed door.
We knows the guy that pulled it off we spent las' night wid him an' his pal an' a skoit. He creased me, here," and Charlie unbuttoned his clothing and exposed to view the bloody scratch of The Oskaloosa Kid's bullet. "On de level, Burton, we wern't in on it. Dis guy was at dat Squibbs' place wen we pulls in dere outen de rain.
We haven't any of us done anything so very bad but it would be embarrassing to have to explain to the police what we have done," here he glanced at The Oskaloosa Kid and the girl standing beside the youth. "Suppose we form a defensive alliance, eh? We'll help you and you help us. What do you say?"
"Where are they?" cried the latter. "God help you if you've killed either of them, for one of them must know what became of Abigail." He pushed his way up until he faced the prisoners. The Oskaloosa Kid gave him a single look of surprise and then sprang toward him with outstretched arms. "Oh, daddy, daddy!" she cried, "don't let them kill him."
They were treating him as one of them, and after the lonely walk through the dark and desolate farm lands human companionship of any kind was to him as the proverbial straw to the man who rocked the boat once too often. Dopey Charlie and The General, alone of all the company, waxed not enthusiastic over the advent of The Oskaloosa Kid and his priceless loot.
The purr of a rapidly moving motor rose above the rain, the light rose, fell, swerved to the right and to the left. "Someone must be in a hurry," commented Bridge. "I suppose it is James, anxious to find you and explain his absence," suggested The Oskaloosa Kid. They both laughed.
For the time she had forgotten that she was alone in the company of a tramp and a burglar how much worse either might be she could only guess. The breakfast, commenced so auspiciously, continued in gloomy silence. At least the girl and The Oskaloosa Kid were silent and gloom steeped. Bridge was thoughtful but far from morose. His spirits were unquenchable.
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