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which followed it； that 〃Jim Hooker〃 first characteristically
flashed upon Clarence's perceptions。 Hanging half on and half off
the saddle of an Indian pony； the lank Jim suddenly made his
appearance； dashing violently up and down the track； and around the
wagon in which Clarence was sitting； tugging desperately at the
reins； with every indication of being furiously run away with； and
retaining his seat only with the most dauntless courage and skill。
Round and round they went； the helpless rider at times hanging by a
single stirrup near the ground； and again recovering himself byas
it seemed to Clarencealmost superhuman effort。 Clarence sat
open…mouthed with anxiety and excitement； and yet a few of the
other teamsters laughed。 Then the voice of Mr。 Peyton； from the
window of his car； said quietly；
〃There； that will do； Jim。 Quit it！〃
The furious horse and rider instantly disappeared。 A few moments
after； the bewildered Clarence saw the redoubted horseman trotting
along quietly in the dust of the rear； on the same fiery steed； who
in that prosaic light bore an astounding resemblance to an ordinary
team horse。 Later in the day he sought an explanation from the
rider。
〃You see；〃 answered Jim gloomily； 〃thar ain't a galoot in this yer
crowd ez knows jist WHAT'S in that hoss！ And them ez suspecks
daren't say！ It wouldn't do for to hev it let out that the Judge
hez a Morgan…Mexican plug that's killed two men afore he got him；
and is bound to kill another afore he gets through！ Why； on'y the
week afore we kem up to you； that thar hoss bolted with me at
camping！ Bucked and throwed me； but I kept my holt o' the stirrups
with my footso！ Dragged me a matter of two miles； head down； and
me keepin' away rocks with my handso！〃
〃Why didn't you loose your foot and let go？〃 asked Clarence
breathlessly。
〃YOU might；〃 said Jim； with deep scorn； 〃that ain't MY style。 I
just laid low till we kem to a steep pitched hill； and goin' down
when the hoss was； so to speak； kinder BELOW me； I just turned a
hand spring； so； and that landed me onter his back again。〃
This action； though vividly illustrated by Jim's throwing his hands
down like feet beneath him； and indicating the parabola of a spring
in the air； proving altogether too much for Clarence's mind to
grasp； he timidly turned to a less difficult detail。
〃What made the horse bolt first； Mr。 Hooker？〃
〃Smelt Injins！〃 said Jim； carelessly expectorating tobacco juice in
a curving jet from the side of his moutha singularly fascinating
accomplishment； peculiarly his own； 〃'n' likely YOUR Injins。〃
〃But；〃 argued Clarence hesitatingly； 〃you said it was a week
beforeand〃
〃Er Mexican plug kin smell Injins fifty； yes； a hundred miles
away；〃 said Jim； with scornful deliberation； 〃'n' if Judge Peyton
had took my advice； and hadn't been so mighty feared about the
character of his hoss gettin' out he'd hev played roots on them
Injins afore they tetched ye。 But；〃 he added； with gloomy
dejection； 〃there ain't no sand in this yer crowd； thar ain't no
vim； thar ain't nothin'； and thar kan't be ez long ez thar's women
and babies； and women and baby fixin's； mixed up with it。 I'd hev
cut the whole blamed gang ef it weren't for one or two things；〃 he
added darkly。
Clarence； impressed by Jim's mysterious manner； for the moment
forgot his contemptuous allusion to Mr。 Peyton； and the evident
implication of Susy and himself； and asked hurriedly； 〃What
things？〃
Jim； as if forgetful of the boy's presence in his fitful mood；
abstractedly half drew a glittering bowie knife from his bootleg；
and then slowly put it back again。 〃Thar's one or two old scores；〃
he continued； in a low voice； although no one was in hearing
distance of them； 〃one or two private accounts；〃 he went on
tragically； averting his eyes as if watched by some one； 〃thet hev
to be wiped out with blood afore I leave。 Thar's one or two men
TOO MANY alive and breathin' in this yer crowd。 Mebbee it's Gus
Gildersleeve； mebbee it's Harry Benham； mebbee；〃 he added； with a
dark yet noble disinterestedness； 〃it's ME。〃
〃Oh； no；〃 said Clarence； with polite deprecation。
Far from placating the gloomy Jim； this seemed only to awake his
suspicions。 〃Mebbee；〃 he said； dancing suddenly away from
Clarence； 〃mebbee you think I'm lyin'。 Mebbee you think； because
you're Colonel Brant's son； yer kin run ME with this yer train。
Mebbee；〃 he continued； dancing violently back again； 〃ye kalkilate；
because ye run off'n' stampeded a baby； ye kin tote me round too；
sonny。 Mebbee；〃 he went on； executing a double shuffle in the dust
and alternately striking his hands on the sides of his boots；
〃mebbee you're spyin' round and reportin' to the Judge。〃
Firmly convinced that Jim was working himself up by an Indian war…
dance to some desperate assault on himself； but resenting the last
unjust accusation； Clarence had recourse to one of his old dogged
silences。 Happily at this moment an authoritative voice called
out； 〃Now； then； you Jim Hooker！〃 and the desperate Hooker； as
usual； vanished instantly。 Nevertheless； he appeared an hour or
two later beside the wagon in which Susy and Clarence were seated；
with an expression of satiated vengeance and remorseful
bloodguiltiness in his face； and his hair combed Indian fashion
over his eyes。 As he generously contented himself with only
passing a gloomy and disparaging criticism on the game of cards
that the children were playing； it struck Clarence for the first
time that a great deal of his real wickedness resided in his hair。
This set him to thinking that it was strange that Mr。 Peyton did
not try to reform him with a pair of scissors； but not until
Clarence himself had for at least four days attempted to imitate
Jim by combing his own hair in that fashion。
A few days later； Jim again casually favored him with a
confidential interview。 Clarence had been allowed to bestride one
of the team leaders postillionwise； and was correspondingly
elevated； when Jim joined him； on the Mexican plug； which appeared
no doubt a part of its wicked artheavily docile； and even
slightly lame。
〃How much；〃 said Jim； in a tone of gloomy confidence；〃how much
did you reckon to make by stealin' that gal…baby； sonny？〃
〃Nothing；〃 replied Clarence with a smile。 Perhaps it was an
evidence of the marked influence that Jim was beginning to exert
over him that he already did not attempt to resent this fascinating
implication of grownup guilt。
〃It orter bin a good job； if it warn't revenge；〃 continued Jim
moodily。
〃No； it wasn't revenge；〃 said Clarence hurriedly。
〃Then ye kalkilated ter get er hundred dollars reward ef the old
man and old woman hadn't bin scelped afore yet got up to 'em？〃 said
Jim。 〃That's your blamed dodgasted luck； eh！ Enyhow； you'll make
Mrs。 Peyton plank down suthin' if she adopts the babby。 Look yer；
young feller；〃 he said； starting suddenly and throwing his face
forward； glaring fiendishly through his matted side…locks； 〃d'ye
mean ter tell me it wasn't a planta skin gamethe hull thing？〃
〃A what？〃 said Clarence。
〃D'ye mean to say〃it was wonderful how gratuitously husky his
voice became at this moment〃d'ye mean ter tell me ye didn't set
on them Injins to wipe out the Silsbees； so that ye could hev an
out…an'…out gal ORFEN on hand fer Mrs。 Peyton ter adopteh？〃
But here Clarence was forced to protest； and strongly； although Jim
contemptuously ignored it。 〃Don't lie ter me；〃 he repeated
mysteriously； 〃I'm fly。 I'm dark； young fel。 We're cahoots in
this thing？〃 And with this artful suggestion of being in
possession of Clarence's guilty secret he departed in time to elude
the usual objurgation of his superior； 〃Phil；〃 the head teamster。
Nor was his baleful fascination exercised entirely on Clarence。 In
spite of Mrs。 Peyton's jealously affectionate care； Clarence's
frequent companionship； and the little circle of admiring courtiers
that always surrounded Susy； it became evident that this small Eve
had been secretly approached and tempted by the Satanic Jim。 She
was found one day to have a few heron's feathers in her possession
with which she adorned her curls； and at another time was
discovered to have rubbed her face and arms with yellow and red
ochre； confessedly the free gift of Jim Hooker。 It was to Clarence
alone that she admitted the significance and purport of these
offerings。 〃Jim gived 'em to me；〃 she said； 〃and Jim's a kind of
Injin hisself that won't hurt me； and when bad Injins come； they'll
think I'm his Injin baby and run away。 And Jim said if I'd just
told the Injins when they came to kill papa and mamma； that I
b'longed to him； they'd hev runned away。〃
〃But；〃 said the practical Clarence； 〃you could not； you know you
were with Mrs。 Peyton all the time。〃
〃Kla'uns；〃 said Susy； shaking her head and fixing her round blue
eyes with calm mendacity on the boy； 〃don't you tell me。 I WAS
THERE！〃
Clarence started back； and nearly fell over the wagon in hopeless
dismay at this dreadful revelation of Susy's powers of
exaggeration。 〃But；〃 he gasped； 〃you know； Susy； you and me left
before〃
〃Kla'uns；〃 said Susy calmly； making a little ple