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CHAPTER XX

THE HIDE-OUT

" are you?" Ralph inquired, somewhat mystified.

"Here I am—the wiggling stick. I'm behind it."

"Oh! I see!" said Ralph—"and who are you?"

"Me? Oh, nobody in particular."

Ralph now discovered that his challenger was on the other side of the close board fence, and through a crack was moving a thin splinter of wood up and down to indicate his exact location. Ralph came up to the spot.

"What do you want?" he inquired.

"That quarter, mister—you know, back there with the gang, I heard you. Well, here I am. Pass through the coin, will you?"

Ralph got a dim focus through the crack, and surmised that the speaker was the dirty-faced little fellow who had looked at him so longingly when he offered the money. Rh