river?"

"Nope."

"What did ye do with him?"

"Gived him away."

"Ye lie! That winder was open, and the river was dark as hell. Ye
throwed him in, I tell ye!"

"Nope; I gived him to a woman--"

She stopped and edged toward the stairs, all her old fear of him
returning. Reaching the short flight, she bounded up, the cat clinging
to her sleeve. Lem did not follow; for the crazy woman had frightened
him. He stood with hushed breath, holding grimly to the wooden table. A
voice from the deck of the scow came down to him.

"I gived him to a rich woman on a yacht. He's rich with mints of money.
Yer kid's a gentleman, Lem Crabbe!"

He sprang after her to the deck; but nothing greeted him save the cry of
an owl from the ragged rocks and the glistening green of the cat's eyes
as Scraggy hurried away.




CHAPTER SIX