A Woman at Bay

reason for directing them to do as he did was that they might each have learned th

ess of habit and apparel; and by the time they arrived at the place of meeting, ea

gh he said nothing about it: That was that they would make acquaintances among such of t

, and he went direct to the railway station, where he took a train for the West-for a city far beyond the line

al, also. Outside the house, on the curb, he stopped for a few moments, and appea

ouse. He had said no more than he did to them purposely, for he was curious to see how each would go about it. He knew that e

n front of it for a moment; and then he walke

was their intention to work singly. He had left the map for them to study in the library after he left them alone toget

ook his departure. Joseph had to know how to account for his absence from home to those who might inq

e of his own disguises-one that he was fond of, and which will appear more particularly later on, and w

-to the time when we behold the camp fire made of railway ties, with the four hoboes grouped around it, having enjoyed their

e night was not a dark one at that. Alread

ed quite dark by contrast, and the light thrown back by th

observer of the arrival of the others, nevertheless; and he accomplished that by arriving in the vicinity early in the day, and

expected it; and as the detective watched his youngest assistan

ee, been an enemy, instead of a friend, he could n

siderable growth of beard upon the former. He wore good shoes-just out of a store, they appeared to be, and he carried a string of three other pairs, equally new, in one hand. His coa

e the place of meeting he stopped, and, after a moment, he dived quickly over the fence i

rranged his crane of green sticks, and, from a bundle that he carried slung upon one shoulder, he produced the

of the gathering gloom that neither Patsy, at the fire,

atsy wheeled like lightning, with a

cordially, and eying the newcomer su

, and without so much as glancing again at Patsy; but he slung his own bundle o

e, which he dropped near the fire; an

?" he demanded, thrusting hi

you

have, and as g

m agreeable. C

en it was almost dark,

nd the best dressed one of the three, althoug

hear him long before he reached them. But they made no move. Anybody who ap

gan to laugh; and he laughed on, boisterously, amazingly, in fact; he laughed until th

What you see that's so funny; must be in your own globes. Come alon

ed back to them. "I was laughing to think

three-'r four, for that matte

sorts of improvised arrangements, that the fourth member of the

beginning to eat; and he squatted beside them, and, reaching out without a word, helped

atsy, leering at the one wit

d the other, who was Chick. But neither Chick nor Patsy was at all assured that this new arrival was their

tainly looked the Italian part of it, all right; but even among his rags

his hold upon the food he was eating long enough to finger the hilt of his knife suggestively; for Nick was aware

rowl. "Better hava da care wota you say dees times. I hava da bu

others had already christened 'Laughing Willie'; but Ten-Ichi, nothing dau

m his seat by the fire and advancing toward Ten-Ichi; but he had not taken a step before he found hims

s enjoying a feast, and you're welcome to part of it if you want it, but if

who appeared to have been really very hungry, had drawn back from the fire; and then it was th

ere might still be others concealed in the trees or somewhere near at hand watching them. There was no telling how many pairs of eyes had observed them when they e

ty. Among them it is always merely a question of the survival of the fittest-

t; and, in fact, it was not ten minutes after their meal was finished, and their pipes were alight, befor

three sides at once-came forwa

ade a motion or uttered a word. They smoked stolidly on,

more; and the eight, who had seemed to come together, grouped themselves with their b