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{{frabfp148.png}} || eagles of the sky ||

though, and say when I lifted the lid, and let you
into this part of our big game, Perk."

"Huh! you talked in your sleep some, old hoss--first
ocr>   time ever I knew you to do sech a thing--_??_
fix>   time ever I knew you to do sech a thing--said
ocr>   said that name exactly three tin^s, like it meant
fix>   that name exactly three times, like it meant
a heap in the bargain."

"You mean _tonight_ while I was picking up a
few winks of sleep--is that a fact, Perk?"

"Sure thing, boss--course I knew somethin'
ocr>   must be pesU,@Jn' you like all get-out, so I made
fix>   must be pesterin' you like all get-out, so I made
up my mind to ask you who that Oswald might
be an' what we'd got to do with such a critter."

Then Jack laughed as the humorous side of
his recent thrill had begun to grip him.

"Well, well, seems like I'll soon have to put a
padlock on my lips after this when I hit the hay.
It's a serious offence for a fellow in _our_ profession
to give away his secrets like that! Never
knew myself to be guilty of babbling that way
before. Lucky you were the only one to hear me
give the game away so recklessly. The joke is on
ocr>   me, partner.
fix>   me, partner."

"But say, Jack, whoever is this Kearns guy
anyhow--I sure never heard his name before tonight
an' I kinder got the idee in my head he
must be some big-wig you ran up against when
in Washington--somebody who had the orderin'
around o' poor dicks like me'nd you."

"That's a far guess, brother," Jack told him,

[[148]]

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