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 back to the activities over which Schubert was presiding in the street. The wagon drew away in a moment, and the mayor began to talk again.

"Don't make the mistake of thinkin' you can hide out somewhere in town and dodge Kellogg, or stand around and bluff it through. If you can't ride, walk—I'm not goin' to interfere. It's not more than nine or ten miles out to your place, is it, Zora?"

"Between eight and nine," the girl replied indifferently, Dunham thought.

"Thanks," said Dunham.

The word appeared to nettle the mayor. He turned on Dunham savagely, his brows gathered in threatening scowl.

"You'll have to make up your mind purty damn sudden what you're goin' to do, young feller!"

"Thanks," said Dunham, in that same perfunctory, exasperating way. "I made it up some time ago."

"Well, git to hell out o' here, then!" the mayor said, at the end of his forbearance with such a dumb clod of a man.