face, arid added:

"--ty cents."

"It's yours," replied Dave, promptly producing the coin. "Wh-e-w!"

Dave stared, started and gave utterance to a prolonged whistle. He
came to his feet with a shock. Upon the rear plate of the badge
were scratched two letters, indeed--but the tramp had read them
wrong. As read by Dave they were a mine of information.

Dave's mind ran rapidly. He sat down again on the bench. The tramp
grinned broadly as Dave turned an eager and excited face upon him.

"Why," he chuckled, "you're real friendly, aren't you?"

"No trifling," said Dave seriously. "I'll give you a good deal more
than fifty cents if you tell me truthfully and right away how you
came by that badge."

"How much now?"

"Two dollars."

"The information is yours, Cap," answered the tramp, with an assumed
air of grandness. "I found it."

"When?"

"At one o'clock yesterday morning."