Penrod and Sam

athlessly through a

gasped Penrod. "Leav

rotested, in a whisper. "I

I do!" Penrod insisted; and

ispered warningly.

ed, stepped back, the weapon in his grasp. "Here," he said, "this is

ed, advancing. "I want that revolaver.

rst, haven't I?" Penrod began an improvisation on the spot. "Say I'm comin'

e impatiently. "I guess it ain't

s," Penrod argued, becoming logical. "It ain't e

t either. I

eep it, am I? You can have it when I get through, can't you? Here's how I do:

to the other end of the room, swinging the re

ou wouldn't notice that I had my good ole revolaver with me. You wouldn't think I had one, because it'd be under my coat like this, and you wouldn't see it." Penrod stuck the muzzle of the pistol into the waistban

our turn," he said. "Now, it's mi

haven't showed you how I do, have I? My

id yourself it'd be

e wall, turning his right side toward Sam and keeping the revolver sti

rs is over

't eith

the right shoulder and endeavouring to reach hi

out!" Penrod, carried away by

ise lost to caution, as

did,

u s

said an

id-Quit

threshold. The scuffling of Sam and Penrod ceased instantly, and they stood hushed

?" sai

uarrelling

nswered Sam in

ke it. What wa

rienced distressful sensations similar to those of the owner of too heavily insured property carrying a gasoline can under his overcoat and detained for conversation by a policeman. And if, in the coming years it was to be Penrod's lot to find himself in that precise situation, no doubt he would be the better prepared for it on account of this pre

boys fall into the stillness now assumed by these two, it should be understood that they are sufferi

s than that of Sam, who, in the event of detection, would be convicted as only an accessory. It was

n't quarrelling, Sam?

we were ju

mly uneasy, and her

and Sam talking

a'

you talki

ulped in

d, "it wasn't much

t th

pthing. Diffe

h somewhat baffling, was thoroughly familiar to her ear. "Now, if you'll come downstairs, I'l

prehensive Sam and the unfortunate Penrod (with the monstrous implement bulking against his ribs) walked out of the room and down the stairs, their countenances indicating an interior condition of solemnity. And a curious shade of behaviour m

, as the three reached the foot of the stairs.

reading his evening paper. He looked up pleasantly, but it see

up to, you boys?"

id Sam. "Diff

t li

different

then his glance reste

tter with your

nd Sam withdrew from h

ir

s the matter w

e?" Penro

holding it at an unnatural

sir. A boy bit me-I me

athetically: "That's too b

ight on t

haps you ought to h

ir

ve a doctor

put some stuff from

obably it's al

y, and accepted the warm cookie Mrs. Will

"It's too near dinner-time. You needn't be

t; they were in no frame

g that bit you?" Mr

sir. It wa

liams exclaimed. "

he answered feebly. "I guess

us! How

t came up

her children," said Mrs. Williams, with a solicitou

t was ju

have been dreadfully frightened

she began, and then, as she caught sight of Penrod, she addressed him directly, "You'

shoulder; and she accompanied him to the front door. "Tell your mother I'm s

es

ing for help as well as a horror of the position in which he found himself. Sam, however, pale and determined, seemed to have assumed a stony attitude of detachment, as if it were

e waiting for you at home," said Mrs. Willi

at his own dinner-table, somewhat breathless

without being telephoned

Mr. Schofield's own class, "Sam's mother and father kept me, or I'd been home

is too far away to be worried about the difference between temporary security and permanent security is left for grow

Williams family. Not did his eye lighten with any pleasurable excitement as he sat himself down in a shadowy corner and began some sketchy experiments with the mechanism. The allure of first sight was gone. In Mr. Williams' bedchamber, with Sam clamouring for possession, it had seemed to Penrod that nothing in the world wa

reamed Real misbehav

than for any other reason, he pointed the revolver

Yay, Penrod!" and Sam Williams darkened the doorway, his eye falling inst

ght with it, did yo

ok his hea

by Sam's presence to assume a slight swagger. "They'd have to get up

ere, and he was pretty mad, and said he knew it was those cheap plumbers stole it that mamma got instead of the regular plumbers he always used to have, and he said there wasn't any chance ever

usiasm. "Sam, we'll keep

effort to take it, and neither boy seemed to feel yesterday's necessity to show the

a genuine spa

er than any firecrackers! Just a little 'Bing!'

t she'll go off louder'n that time the gas-works blew

Penrod. "You aren't used

promptly, "I wouldn't be any more af

would

ould

" And Penrod handed the weapon scornfully to

e," Sam said, "only it might

ir, then. It can't hu

turned away their heads, and Penrod put his fingers in his ears-but nothing hap

t have her cocked," he said apologeti

now enough to cock her! If I didn't know

lling clicks warranted his opinion that the pistol was now ready to pe

" And as Sam raised his arm, Penrod again turned aw

se fo

t you g

d his friend standing with his right arm above his head

face convulsed as in sympathy with the great muscular

arked with scorn. "I'll

his eyes and handed

surprising and unusual mi

le extent, Penrod attempted to talk

tense of careless ease. "Ain't even strong enough to pull a trigger! Poor 'i

nably, "why don't you

M goin' to

en, why d

ttle higher than his shoulder and pointing it in the direction of the double doors, which opened upon

EE if I will? I bet yo

t; perhaps he had been reassured by Sam's assertion that the trigger was difficult. His intentions must remain in doubt, and probably Penrod h

g of the door. This third point, roughly speaking, was the open mouth of a gayly dressed young coloured man whose attention, as he strolled, had been thus violently distracted from some mental computations he was making in numbers, including, particularly, those symbols at ecstasy or woe, as the case might be, seven and eleven. His eye at once perceived the orifice on a line

ze two stark-white white boys, one of them holding an enormous pistol and both staring at him in stupor of ultimate horror. For, to the glassy

and there followed a motionless moment-a tableau of brief duration, fo

d reproachfully. "Nice business

to summon the tremulous semblance of a voi

at kine o' white boys you think you is-man can't walk 'long street 'thout you blowin' his head off!" He entered the stable and, with a

avered Sam. "It

boy, listen me!" he said. "Ef I went an did what I OUGHT to did, I'd march straight out 'iss stable, git a policeman, an' tell him 'rest you an' take you off to jail. 'At's what you need-blowin' man's head off! Listen me: I'm goin' take 'iss gun an' th'ow her away where you can't do no mo' harm with her. I'm goin' take her way off in the woods an' th'ow her away where can't nobody fine her an' go blowin' man's

ppeared

ed, then added more decidedly: "I'm goin' home. I guess I've stood about enough around here for one day!" And bestowing a last glance upon

after a cautious glance round the reassuring horizon, lifted the iron cover. Then he took from the inner pocket of his jacket an object which he dropped listlessly into the water: it was a bit of wood, whittled to the likeness of a pistol. And though

en one! Never want

in general, several of the most distinguished old gentlemen in E