to him to have company, and somebody to talk to in his troubles. We was in a sweat to find out what his secret was, but Tom said the best way was not to seem anxious,

hing else. The way it come about was this: He got to asking us, kind of indifferent like, about the passengers down on deck. We told him about them. But he warn't satisfied; we war

rd sure-I just knowed it. I sort of hoped I

nother mangy, rough deck passenger,

s on me. They've got a right to come up and buy drinks at the bar yonder forrard, and they take that chance to bribe somebody to kee

h, he was telling! He was poking along through his ups and dow

to see. We was dressed up fine, and we played it on them in broad daylight. We ordered the di'monds sent to the hotel for us to see if we wanted to buy, and when we was exami

says. "Was they really worth

cent

lows got awa

another, so we throwed up, heads or tails, and the Upper Mississippi won. We done up the di'monds in a paper and put our names on it and put it in the keep of the hotel clerk, and told him not to ever let either of

tion?" T

b the

ing, after all of you

rt'

lap said it warn't unusual in the profession. Said when a person was in that line of business he'd got to l

and I'll have a disguise all ready, and I'll give the boys the slip, and when I'm safe away I'll put it on, and then let them find me if they can. So I got the false whiskers and the goggles and this countrified suit of clothes, and fetched them along back in a hand-bag;

ers?"

N

ggl

N

u, you're only just hendering all yo

t was only just a screwdriver-just

e! What did he

hand slop-shop and see him buy a red flannel shirt and some old ragged clothes-just the ones he's got on now, as you've described. Then I went down to the wharf and hid my things aboard the up-riv

ng till most midnight; then we went and set down in my stateroom and locked the doors and looked in the piece of paper to see if the di'monds was all right, then laid it on the lower berth right in full sight; and there we set, and set, and by-and-by it got to be dreadful hard to keep awake. At last Bud Dixon he dropped off. As soon as he was snoring a good regular gait that was likely to last, and had h

nt, without having to explain to one another. Bud Dixon would wake up and miss the swag, and would come straight for us, for he ain't afeard of anything or anybody, that man ain't. He would come, and we would heave him overboard, or get killed trying. It made me shiver, because I ain't as brave a

t suspicious?' 'Land!' Hal says, 'do you reckon he's playing us?-open the paper!' I done it, and by gracious there warn't anything in it but a couple of little pieces of loaf-sugar! THAT'S the reas

ashore we would get him drunk and search him, and get the di'monds; and DO for him, too, if it warn't too risky. If we got the swag, we'd GOT to do for him, or he would hunt us down and do for us, sure. But I didn't have no real hope. I knowed we could get him drunk-he was always ready for that-but what's the good of it? You might search him a year and never find-Well, right there

o," says Tom

i'monds! You look at this boot heel, now. See, it's bottomed with a steel plate, and the plate is fastened on with little screws.

t it bully!

ver so wide awake in my life. I was spying out from under the shade of my hat brim, searching the floor for leather. It took me a long time, and I begun to think maybe my guess was wrong, but at last I struck it. It laid over by the b

like a couple of pudd'nheads. He set there and took his own time to unscrew his heelplates and cut out his plugs and stick in the di'monds and screw on his plates agai

t was!" says Tom, ju