              ,,*APT] ,,IV
                 ,,/ORM

  ,& X GOT L"O"SR & L"O"SR4 ,"! 0 ! BIG
SKY UP "!1 EMPTY & AW;L DEEP2 &! OC1N
D[N "! )\T A ?+ ON X B J ! WAVES4 ,ALL
>.D U 0 A R+1 ": ! SKY &! WAT] -E TGR2
YES1 A MON/R\S BIG R+ X WAS1 & WE "R 9 !
D1D C5T] ( X--PLUMB 9 ! C5T]4 ,WE 0 RAC+
AL;G L A PRAIRIE FIRE1 B X N"E MADE ANY
DI6];E1 WE CDN'T SEEM 6GIT PA/ T C5T] NO
WAY4 ,I CDN'T SEE T WE "E GA9$ AN 9* ON
T R+4 ,X MADE A BODY FEEL CREEPY1 X 0 S
CURI\S & UNA3.TA#4
  ,WELL1 "EY?+ 0 S AW;L / T WE GOT
6TALK+ 9 A V L[ VOICE1 & KEPT ON GETT+
CREEPI] & L"O"SR & LESS & LESS TALKY1
TILL AT LA/ ! TALK RAN DRY ALT1 & WE J
SET "! & 8?UNK10 Z ,JIM CALLS X1 & N"E
SD A ^W ! L;GE/ "T4
  ,! PROFESSOR N"E /IRR$ TILL ! SUN 0
OV]H1D1 !N HE /OOD UP & PUT A K9D (
TRIANGLE 6HIS EYE1 & ,TOM SD X 0 A
SEXTANT & HE 0 TAK+ ! SUN 6SEE ":ABS !
BALLOON WAS4 ,!N HE CIPH]$ A LL & LOOK$
9 A BOOK1 & !N HE 2GUN 6C>RY ON AG4 ,HE
SD LOTS ( WILD ?+S1 &1 AM;G O!RS1 HE SD
HE WD KEEP UP ? HUNDR$-MILE GAIT TILL !
MI4LE ( TO-MORR[ AFN1 & !N HE'D L& 9
,LONDON4
  ,WE SD WE WD 2 HUMBLY ?ANK;L4
  ,HE 0 TURN+ AWAY1 B HE :IRL$ >.D :5 WE
SD T1 & GIVE U A L;G LOOK ( 8 BLACKE/
K9D--"O (! MALICI\SE/ & SUSPICI\SE/
LOOKS ,I "E SEE4 ,!N HE SAYS3
  8,Y WANT 6L1VE ME4 ,DON'T TRY 6D5Y X40
  ,WE DIDN'T "K :AT 6SAY1 S WE HELD 9 &
DIDN'T SAY NO?+ AT ALL4
  ,HE W5T AFT & SET D[N1 B HE CDN'T SEEM
6GIT T ?+ \ ( 8 M9D4 ,E N[ & !N HE WD
RIP \ "S?+ AB X1 & TRY 6MAKE U ANSW] HM1
B WE DASN'T4
  ,X GOT L"O"SR & L"O"SR "R AL;G1 & X
DID SEEM 6ME ,I CDN'T /& X4 ,X 0 / WORSE
:5 NI<T 2GUN 6-E ON4 ,BY & BY ,TOM P9*$
ME & :ISP]S3
  8,LOOK60
  ,I TOOK A GL.E AFT1 & SEE ! PROFESSOR
TAK+ A :ET \ (A BOTTLE4 ,I DIDN'T L !
LOOKS ( T4 ,BY & BY HE TOOK ANO!R DR9K1
& PRETTY SOON HE 2GUN 6S+4 ,X 0 D>K N[1
& GETT+ BLACK & /ORMY4 ,HE W5T ON S++1
WILD] & WILD]1 &! ?"U 2GUN 6MUTT]1 &!
W9D 6:EEZE & MOAN AM;G ! ROPES1 & ALT X
0 AW;L4 ,X GOT S BLACK WE CDN'T SEE HM
ANY M1 & WI%$ WE CDN'T HE> HM1 B WE CD4
,!N HE GOT /2 B HE W>N'T / T5 M9UTES
TILL WE GOT SUSPICI\S1 & WI%$ HE WD />T
UP 8 NOISE AG1 S WE CD TELL ": HE WAS4
,BY & BY "! 0 A FLA% ( LI<TN+1 & WE SEE
HM />T 6GET UP1 B HE /A7]$ & FELL D[N4
,WE HE>D HM SCR1M \ 9 ! D>K3
  8,!Y DON'T WANT 6G 6,5GL&4 ,ALL "R1
,I'LL *ANGE ! C\RSE4 ,!Y WANT 6L1VE ME4
,I "K !Y D4 ,WELL1 !Y %--& ,,N[60
  ,I ,8MO/ DI$ :5 HE SD T4 ,!N HE 0 / AG
--/ S L;G ,I CDN'T BE> X1 & X DID SEEM
6ME ! LI<TN+ WDN'T ,,"E -E AG4 ,B AT LA/
"! 0 A B.S$ FLA%1 & "! HE WAS1 ON 8 H&S
& KNEES CRAWL+1 & N F\R FEET F U4 ,MY1 B
8 EYES 0 T]RI#6 ,HE MADE A LUNGE = ,TOM1
& SAYS1 8,OV]BO>D ,,Y G60 B X 0 ALR
PIT*-D>K AG1 & ,I CDN'T SEE :E!R HE GOT
HM OR N1 & ,TOM DIDN'T MAKE A S.D4
  ,"! 0 ANO!R L;G1 HORRI# WAIT2 !N "! 0
A FLA%1 & ,I SEE ,TOM'S H1D S9K D[N
\TSIDE ! BOAT & 4APPE>4 ,HE 0 ON ! ROPE-
LA4] T DANGL$ D[N 9 ! AIR F ! GUNNEL4 ,!
PROFESSOR LET (F A %\T & JUMP$ = HM1 &
/RAI<T (F X 0 PIT*-D>K AG1 & ,JIM GROAN$
\1 8,PO0' ,M>S ,TOM1 HE'S A GON]60 &
MADE A JUMP =! PROFESSOR1 B ! PROFESSOR
W>N'T "!4
  ,!N WE HE>D A C\PLE ( T]RI# SCR1MS1 &
!N ANO!R N S L\D1 & !N ANO!R T 0 ,8WAY
2L1 & Y CD ONLY ,,J HE> X2 & ,I HE>D
,JIM SAY1 8,PO0' ,M>S ,TOM60
  ,!N X 0 AW;L /1 & ,I RECKON A P]SON CD
,8A0' C.T$ F\R ?\S& 2F ! NEXT FLA% -E4
,:5 X -E ,I SEE ,JIM ON 8 KNEES1 ) 8 >MS
ON ! LOCK] & 8 FACE BURI$ 9 !M1 & HE 0
CRY+4 ,2F ,I CD LOOK OV] ! $GE X 0 ALL
D>K AG1 & ,I 0 GLAD1 2C ,I DIDN'T WANT
6SEE4 ,B :5 ! NEXT FLA% -E1 ,I 0 WAT*+1
& D[N "! ,I SEE "SBODY A-SW++ 9 ! W9D ON
! LA4]1 & X 0 ,TOM6
  8,-E UP60 ,I %\TS2 8-E UP1 ,TOM60
  ,8 VOICE 0 S W1K1 &! W9D RO>$ S1 ,I
CDN'T MAKE \ :AT HE SD1 B ,I ?"\ HE ASK$
0 ! PROFESSOR UP "!4 ,I %\TS3
  8,NO1 HE'S D[N 9 ! OC1N6 ,-E UP6 ,C WE
HELP Y80
  ,( C\RSE1 ALL ? 9 ! D>K4
  8,HUCK1 :O IS Y HOLL]9' AT80
  8,I'M HOLL]9' AT ,TOM40
  8,OH1 ,HUCK1 H[ K9 Y ACT S1 :5 Y "K
PO0' ,M>S ,TOM--0 ,!N HE LET (F AN AW;L
SCR1M1 & FLUNG 8 H1D & 8 >MS BACK & LET
(F ANO!R "O1 2C "! 0 A :ITE GL>E J !N1 &
HE _H RAIS$ UP 8 FACE J 9 "T 6SEE
,TOM'S1 Z :ITE Z SN[1 RISE ABV ! GUNNEL
& LOOK HM "R 9 ! EYE4 ,HE ?"\ X 0 ,TOM'S
<O/1 Y SEE4
  ,TOM CLUMB ABO>D1 & :5 ,JIM F.D X ,,0
HM1 & N 8 <O/1 HE HU7$ HM1 & CALL$ HM
ALL SORTS ( LOV+ "NS1 & C>RI$ ON L HE 0
G"O CRAZY1 HE 0 S GLAD4 ,SAYS ,I3
  8,:AT DID Y WAIT =1 ,TOM8 ,:Y DIDN'T Y
-E UP AT F/80
  8,I DASN'T1 ,HUCK4 ,I "K$ "SBODY
PLUNG$ D[N PA/ ME1 B ,I DIDN'T "K :O X 0
9 ! D>K4 ,X CD ,8A0' BE5 Y1 X CD ,8A0'
BE5 ,JIM40
  ,T 0 ! WAY ) ,TOM ,SAWY]--ALW S.D4 ,HE
W>N'T -+ UP TILL HE "K$ ": ! PROFESSOR
WAS4
  ,! /ORM LET G AB ? "T ) ALL XS MI<T2 &
X 0 DR1D;L ! WAY ! ?"U BOOM$ & TORE1 &!
LI<TN+ GL>$ \1 &! W9D SUNG & SCR1M$ 9 !
RI7+1 &! RA9 -E D[N4 ,"O SECOND Y CDN'T
SEE YR H& 2F Y1 &! NEXT Y CD C.T ! ?R1DS
9 YR COAT- SLEEVE1 & SEE A :OLE WIDE
DES]T ( WAVES PIT*+ & TOSS+ "? A K9D (
VEIL ( RA94 ,A /ORM L T IS ! LOVELIE/ ?+
"! IS1 B X A9'T AT XS BE/ :5 Y >E UP 9 !
SKY & LO/1 & X'S WET & L"O"S1 & "!'S J
BE5 A D1? 9 ! FAMILY4
  ,WE SET "! HU4L$ UP 9 ! B[1 & TALK$ L[
AB ! POOR PROFESSOR2 & "EYBODY 0 SORRY =
HM1 & SORRY ! _W _H MADE FUN ( HM &
TR1T$ HM S H>%1 :5 HE 0 DO+ ! BE/ HE CD1
& _HN'T A FR NOR NOBODY 65C\RAGE HM &
KEEP HM F BROOD+ 8 M9D AWAY & GO+
DERANG$4 ,"! 0 PL5TY ( CLO!S & BLANKETS
& "EY?+ AT ! O!R 5D1 B WE ?"\ WE'D RU!R
TAKE ! RA9 ?AN G M$DL+ BACK "!4


