"He's a bad one," interjected Dopey Charlie, a glint
of cunning in his ordinarily glassy eyes. "He flashes a
couple o' mitsful of sparklers, chesty-like, and allows as
how he's a regular burglar. Then he pulls a gun on me,
as wasn't doin' nothin' to him, and 'most croaks me. It's
even money that if anyone's been croaked in Oakdale
last night they won't have to look far for the guy that
done it. Least-wise they won't have to look far if he
doesn't come across," and Dopey Charlie looked mean-
ingly and steadily at the side pockets of The Oskaloosa
Kid.
"I think," said Bridge, after a moment of general si-
lence, "that you two crooks had better beat it. Do you
get me?" and he looked from Dopey Charlie to The Gen-
eral and back again.
"We don't go," said Dopey Charlie, belligerently, "un-
til we gets half the Kid's swag."
"You go now," said Bridge, "without anybody's swag,"
and he drew the boy's automatic from his side pocket.
"You go now and you go quick--beat it!"
The two rose and shuffled toward the door. "We'll get
you, you colledge Lizzy," threatened Dopey Charlie,
"an' we'll get that phoney punk, too."
"'And speed the parting guest,'" quoted Bridge, firing
a shot that splintered the floor at the crook's feet.
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