hen he hurried to the little table and lighted the lamp, meanwhile glancin

adest man he had ever seen in his life. He could not have been out of his twenties and had a large, r

FORE HIM IN TH

is upturned coat collar and smiled, a slow, secretive smile. Then h

ht brogue. "Can I come in? And where's Toby bein'

across Skippy's tear-stained

he said hospitably. "Po

ut time. Your ould man told me I'd always be welcome in his diggins so here I be. 'Tis too bad 'bout this scow, though. I only g

answered dismall

one of the windows on the inlet side. He bent his huge frame in a stooping postu

ack and smiled his s

epin' a weather eye on thim coppers. They're curious like 'bout some stuff and I

g Joe Tully?"

l, I started out shootin' straight like he did, but whilst Flint's got the mono

o more," Skippy gulped. "I

Tully reaching in his

ippy's eyes again. "An' my Pop's been sorta accused,

etically on his cigaret

f that ol' rat was dead when Toby got there they can't do n

bethought himself of the man's dubious activities on the river. Wasn't it this man and his ilk that hi

idering the moral aspect of an invitation to the man to stay; he forgot all his father's warnings against associat

y, Mr. Tully?" he said with evident di

ines when I come in, but since the coppers been nosin' 'round here tonight, I'll be

in' stuff?" Skippy asked,

s hook ye either way, so they do. Look how quick they come after Toby and they knew he was on the up and up! So I says, does it pay?" Then, see

, so they can't!

e'll be seein' Toby tomorrow or me name ain't Joe Tully. Now I'll be swingin' into me kicker and chug her up the river

grimace at the thought of all this muffled life on the river, Big Joe Tully included. His inherent love of clean living and honesty had come to the fore as his father had wa

t here ... almost.