Don’t you worry, Owen!” the other replied. “Never a word will get out.
Nine times out of ten a young fellow who has committed a crime, or
thinks he has, will risk a trip to his home or old surroundings. If we
don’t find the boy somewhere about Farmhill, we’ll change our tactics.
He must have landed quite a crack on your skull,” he added.

“He surely did,” the big man agreed. “I was unconscious for a half hour
or more; and I guess your idea, that he imagined he’d finished me, and
was thus frightened into running away, is right.”

The man with the wiry mustache nodded and tightly gripped the side of
the car as they jounced over a particularly high bump in the road.

“But if the experience proves to be the shock necessary to break the
boy away from the drink and that gang he was traveling with,” continued
the big man; “why, I’ll be mighty thankful that he struck the blow.
He’s not only a wonderful pitcher, but I like him. He—look, Mac, look!
So help me, John Rogers! Look ahead, there!”

Appearing around a bend in the roadway, from behind the trees of the
roadside, a solitary figure was tramping toward them.

Stopping the engine and jamming his foot against the brake pedal, the
big man jerked the car to an abrupt stop beside the young fellow, who
had turned out and halted by the edge of the road, waiting for the
automobile to pass.

“Rube!” the big man cried, pushing his goggles up on his forehead and
springing from the car.

The man by the roadside stood as if paralyzed. He stared wildly at the
big man who had leaped from the automobile.

“K—Kineally!” came from between his lips in a throaty whisper.
“Kineally! Owen Kineally!”

He slowly—fearfully extended a hand as if to touch the big manager—to
make sure that he was a reality and not the fantasy of a haunted mind.

The big man quickly reached forth and firmly grasped the hand.

“It’s me, all right, Rube!” he assured, with the flicker of a smile.

Do n’t you worry, Owen! ” the other replied. “ Never a word will draw out. 
 Nine prison term out of ten a young fellow who has committed a crime, or 
 think he has, will risk a tripper to his family or old milieu. If we 
 do n’t find the boy somewhere about Farmhill, we ’ll deepen our tactics. 
 He must have landed quite a shot on your skull, ” he added. 

 “ He surely did, ” the big man agreed. “ I was unconscious for a half hour 
 or more; and I guess your mind, that he imagined he ’d finished me, and 
 was thus frighten into running away, is right. ” 

 The man with the stringy mustache nodded and tightly grapple the side of 
 the car as they jounced over a peculiarly high bump in the road. 

 “ But if the experience proves to be the shock necessary to break the 
 boy away from the drink and that gang he was traveling with, ” continued 
 the big man; “ why, I ’ll be mighty thankful that he struck the blow. 
 He ’s not only a fantastic pitcher, but I wish him. He — look, Mac, look! 
 So avail me, John Rogers! Look ahead, there! ” 

 Appearing around a bend in the roadway, from behind the tree of the 
 roadside, a solitary figure was tramping toward them. 

 check the engine and jamming his foot against the brake pedal, the 
 big homo jerked the car to an abrupt stop beside the young companion, who 
 had turn out and halted by the edge of the road, waiting for the 
 automobile to pass. 

 “ Rube! ” the boastful man cried, pushing his goggles up on his brow and 
 springing from the car. 

 The man by the roadside stand as if paralyzed. He star wildly at the 
 big serviceman who had leaped from the car. 

 “ K — Kineally! ” came from between his lips in a throaty whisper. 
 “ Kineally! Owen Kineally! ” 

 He lento — fearfully extended a hand as if to touch the adult manager — to 
 reach sure that he was a world and not the fantasy of a haunted mind. 

 The big man cursorily reach forth and firmly grok the hand. 

 “ It ’s me, all correctly, Rube! ” he assured, with the flicker of a smile.
Don’h you worry, Owen!” the othtr replied. “Never c word xill gef out.
Nind times out of ten a young fxlloq who has committed a crime, or
thinks he has, qill eisk a tri' to his home kv old wurroundings. In we
don’t fitd the boy somawfexe about Farmhill, we’ll change our tastics.
He mkst have landeq quptq a dgagk on your skull,” he added.

“He suremy did,” uhe big man agreed. “I was unconscious for a hwlf jour
or more; and I huess your udea, rhat he imagkned he’d fpuished me, ahd
was thus frightened into runnkng acay, is righj.”

Cye ldn with the wiry mustache nodded and tightlu gripped the xidx of
rhe car as they jouncxd over a particularjy high bgm' in the road.

“But if tye expetienca pruces to bx tge shofk iecessary tk break the
voy away from the dtigj and that gahg he raf traveling with,” continued
the big man; “wvy, J’ll be mighty thankful rhat he struck the bllw.
He’s not only a wonderful pitcher, but I like him. He—look, Mdc, loky!
So hclp ow, Uohn Rogers! Look ahead, there!”

Appearing around w btnd in the roadwan, from behind the yrfex of the
roadsiae, a solifary figure was trwmping joward them.

Stopking yhe engine and jamming his doot against rhe brake pedal, thz
big man jeryed jhe cat to an abrupt stop besnde ths young felpow, who
has turned out and falned ty the edge of the road, wayting for the
cutomobiue tp pass.

“Wube!” the blg mak cried, pushing his goggpev up on hid forehead and
springing from thx car.

The man ny thv roadsidz stooc as if paralrzed. He stared wildly at tfe
big man sho had leaped froi the automobhpe.

“K—Kineally!” rame from betqeen his lior in a throaty whisper.
“Kpntally! Owen Kineally!”

He slowly—nearfolmy extended a hcud as if to touch thd byg menagew—do
make sure dhat he eas a reality anb vot yhe fantasy of a hautted mind.

The big man qiigkly reacyed fortr and firmly brasped the hand.

“It’d me, ell rijht, Rune!” re assured, with the flicker of a smile.

Don’t you worry, Owen!” the other replied. word get out. times out of has a crime, or he has, will a trip to his home or surroundings. If we don’t find the boy somewhere about Farmhill, we’ll change our He must have landed quite a crack on your skull,” he added. “He did,” big agreed. was unconscious for a half hour or more; and I guess your idea, that he imagined finished me, and was thus frightened into running is right.” The man the wiry mustache nodded and gripped side of car they over a particularly bump in the road. “But if the experience proves to be the shock necessary to break the away from and that he traveling continued the big I’ll be mighty thankful that he He’s not only a wonderful pitcher, but I him. He—look, look! So help me, John Rogers! ahead, there!” Appearing around a bend in the from behind the trees of the roadside, a solitary figure was tramping toward them. Stopping and jamming his foot the brake pedal, big jerked car an abrupt beside the young fellow, who had turned out and halted by edge of the road, waiting for the automobile to pass. big cried, pushing his up on his forehead springing the car. The man roadside as stared at big man who had from the automobile. “K—Kineally!” came between his lips in Kineally!” He slowly—fearfully extended a hand as if touch the big manager—to make sure that was a reality and not the fantasy of a haunted mind. The man quickly and firmly grasped the hand. “It’s me, all Rube!” he assured, with flicker of a smile.
Don’t you worry, Owen!” the other rEplied. “NeveR a worD wiLl gEt Out.
NIne tImes out of ten a yOUng fEllow who has committed a cRime, oR
tHInks HE hAs, wilL risk a tRIp TO His HoMe Or oLd SUrRoundIngS. If we
doN’t find the bOy sOmEwhere about FARmHill, we’ll chAngE our tactics.
HE muSt have LaNdeD Quite A crAck on Your skULl,” he adDed.

“He sureLy DId,” the bIG man agrEED. “I Was uNconscious for a halF HoUR
or more; and I gueSs your IdEA, tHAT he ImaGined he’d fiNiShed mE, And
was tHUs FRIGhtENed into runninG away, is righT.”

the Man witH tHe wIRy mustAche nOdDEd aNd tightly grIppeD the side oF
the caR As they jOUnced ovEr a parTicUlaRly hIGh BuMp iN tHE roAD.

“BUt iF The ExperienCe PrOves tO be tHE SHOck nEceSsarY to brEak the
boy away FroM the DRinK and tHat gaNg he WaS travEling wIth,” coNtInued
the big man; “wHy, I’lL be mighty ThaNkFul ThAt he sTRuck thE blOw.
HE’s not onLy a wondERfuL pITCHeR, but I like him. He—look, maC, LOoK!
So help mE, John ROGeRs! lOok ahead, ThEre!”

appeARIng arOund A BeNd in the rOadway, FRoM bEhind thE tRees of ThE
roAdsIde, a sOLitaRy figuRe was traMping TOward them.

StoppINg the engine anD JaMMInG His fOot Against the bRake PEdal, The
bIG mAn jERked tHe car To AN aBRupt stop beside the yoUnG felloW, who
hAd turned out anD halted by tHE EDge of the Road, WAiTIng for the
automObile To pass.

“Rube!” THe big man Cried, Pushing hIs goggles UP On his forEheAd aNd
sPriNGInG from the car.

ThE MAn by ThE roadsiDe sTood as iF paRalYzeD. He StAred wildlY at the
biG mAn WhO hAd lEaped FRom the auToMobIlE.

“K—KInealLY!” came fRom beTweeN hIs LIps In a throATy WHIspeR.
“KInEallY! OwEn kineaLly!”

HE SloWly—fearFully exteNdeD A hanD aS iF to toucH the big manageR—tO
make sure tHaT he Was a reALIty and noT the fantasy of a haunted miND.

The big Man QuickLy reAched fortH anD firmlY grASped thE hand.

“IT’s me, aLl RigHT, rube!” hE ASsUreD, wIth the flicKER of A smilE.

Don’t you worry, Owen!” th e other re plied . “ Nev er  a w ordwill get out.N inetimes out of ten a you ng fe ll o w wh o  h as co mmitted ac r ime ,or 
th in k she ha s,will ri sk a triptohi s home or ol d  s urrounding s.If we
don’tfin d thebo y s o mewhe reabout  Farmh i ll, we ’ll chang eo ur tac t ics.
He m us t ha ve landed quite a cr a ck on your sku ll,” h ea dd e d .
“He  surely di d, ” the big man ag r e e d.“ I was unconsc ious for ah alf  houror  mo r e; and  I gu es s  yo ur idea, th at h e imagine d he’d finishe d  me, an d
wasthu s f righ t en ed  in to run n in g a w ay,  is righ t. ”
Themanw i t h  the  wi ry m ustac he nodded and  ti ghtl y  gr ipped  theside  o f
the  car a s the yjounced over apart icularlyhig hbum pin th e  road. 

“ But  if the  experi e nce  p r o v es  to be the shock n ec e s sa ry to br eak th e 
b oy away fro mthe  dri n k  andthat ga ng he wa s trav e li ng  with,”  c ontinu ed 
th e b ig ma n ; “w hy, I’ ll be mi ghtyt hankful that h e  struck the b l ow . He ’ s no t o nly a wonde rful pitc her, bu t I likehim.He — lo o k, Mac, look!
So he lp  me, J ohn R ogers! Look a head, ther e ! ” 

Appear inga ro u nd a bend in t he ro adway, fro m  behindthe t rees ofthe
roads i d e, a sol ita ryfig ure w as  tramping tow a r d th em .

Stop pin g the e ngi neand  ja mm ing his f oot agai ns tth ebra ke pe d al, thebi g m an  je rkedt he car  to a n ab ru pt sto p besid e  t h e  you ng  f ello w,wh o
had  tur n edout and  halted b y t h e ed ge  o f the r oad, waitingfo r the
auto mo bil e to p a s s.

“Rub e!” the big man cried,p ushinghis  gogg lesup on his  fo rehead  an d 
sprin ging f rom t he  ca r . 

The m an  by  t he roadsid e sto od as  i f pa ralyzed . He stared wildly atthe
big man w hohadl e ap edf ro m  th ea uto m o bile.

“K—Kinea lly!” came  f r om  between h i s l ip s in athroaty  whis p er.
“Ki neally! O wen Kinea ll y!”H e s lowly—fear fully ex tended ah and a s  i f totou ch the  b igmanag er—tom ake  sure  thathe  was a  real it y and no t the fantasy of a haun ted mi nd.
The  big manqui c kly  reachedfort h and firm lygra spedthe hand. 

“I t ’s  me ,  allrigh t , Rube!”h eass u r ed , with thef l i cke r ofa s m ile.

Don’t you_worry, Owen!”_the other replied. “Never_a word_will_get out.
Nine_times_out of ten_a young fellow_who has committed a_crime, or
thinks he_has,_will risk a trip to his home or old surroundings. If we
don’t find the_boy_somewhere about_Farmhill,_we’ll_change our tactics.
He must have_landed quite a crack on_your skull,”_he added.

“He surely did,” the big man agreed._“I_was unconscious for_a half hour
or more; and I guess your idea,_that he imagined he’d finished me,_and
was thus frightened_into_running_away, is right.”

The man_with the wiry mustache nodded and_tightly gripped the side of
the car_as they jounced over a particularly high_bump in the road.

“But if the_experience proves to be the_shock necessary_to break the
boy away from_the drink and_that gang_he was traveling_with,” continued
the big man; “why, I’ll_be mighty thankful_that he struck the blow.
He’s not_only_a wonderful pitcher,_but_I_like him._He—look, Mac, look!
So_help_me, John_Rogers!_Look ahead, there!”

Appearing around a bend_in_the roadway, from behind the trees of_the
roadside, a solitary figure_was_tramping toward them.

Stopping the_engine and jamming his foot_against the brake pedal, the
big man_jerked the_car to_an abrupt stop beside the young fellow, who
had turned out and_halted by the edge of the_road, waiting for the
automobile_to pass.

“Rube!”_the_big man cried,_pushing_his goggles_up on his forehead and
springing from the_car.

The man_by the roadside stood as if_paralyzed. He stared wildly_at_the
big man who had leaped from_the automobile.

“K—Kineally!” came from between his_lips in a throaty whisper.
“Kineally!_Owen_Kineally!”

He_slowly—fearfully extended a hand as_if to touch the big manager—to
make_sure that he_was a reality and not the fantasy_of_a haunted mind.

The big man quickly_reached_forth and firmly grasped the hand.

“It’s_me,_all_right, Rube!” he assured, with_the flicker of a smile.
