"You said we was to come at three o'clock, so I waited 'round till then."
"Afraid to get here ahead of time, eh?"
"I thought it was best to do as you told us, though we've been loafin' outside for ten minutes."
Mr. Davis chuckled audibly, as if in the statement was something very comical, and not until after several seconds had elapsed did he speak, when it was to ask:
"Well, what have you two kids done about finding a place where you can sleep?"
"We're goin' to hustle lively after we leave here. We had to earn a little money first, an' it was pretty late when we got down-town, so we couldn't do any huntin'; but you can make certain some place will flash up before dark."
"I wouldn't wonder if it did, Amateur, I wouldn't wonder if it did. What made you late in getting down-town? I thought you left here earlier than usual."
"So we did, sir; but we met Jip Collins, an'——"
"The kid who started the fire in the lumber-yard?"
"Yes, sir, an' he's mighty sorry for what he did."