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talking with the farmer woman. The other was busily engaged in scratching his

right shin with what remained of the heel of his left shoe. He supported himself

with one hand on a small table upon the top of which was a family Bible.

Quite unexpectedly he lost his balance, the table tipped, he was thrown still

farther over toward it, and all in the flash of an eye tramp, table, and family Bible

crashed to the floor.

With a little cry of alarm the woman rushed forward to gather up the Holy Book,

in her haste forgetting the shotgun and leaving it behind her leaning against the

arm of a chair.

Almost simultaneously the two tramps saw the real cause of her perturbation.

The large book had fallen upon its back, open; and as several of the leaves turned

over before coming to rest their eyes went wide at what was revealed between.

United States currency in denominations of five, ten, and twenty-dollar bills lay

snugly inserted between the leaves of the Bible. The tramp who lay on the floor,

as yet too surprised to attempt to rise, rolled over and seized the book as a

football player seizes the pigskin after a fumble, covering it with his body, his

arms, and sticking out his elbows as a further protection to the invaluable thing.

At the first cry of the woman the dog rose, growling, and bounded into the room.

The tramp leaning against the wall saw the brute coming--a mongrel hound-dog,

bristling and savage.

The shotgun stood almost within the man's reach--a step and it was in his hands.

As though sensing the fellow's intentions the dog wheeled from the tramp upon

the floor, toward whom he had leaped, and sprang for the other ragged scoundrel.

The muzzle of the gun met him halfway. There was a deafening roar. The dog

collapsed to the floor, his chest torn out. Now the woman began to scream for

help; but in an instant both the tramps were upon her choking her to silence.

One of them ran to the summer kitchen, returning a moment later with a piece of

clothesline, while the other sat astride the victim, his fingers closed about her

throat. Once he released his hold and she screamed again. Presently she was

secured and gagged. Then the two commenced to rifle the Bible.

Eleven hundred dollars in bills were hidden there, because the woman and her

husband didn't believe in banks--the savings of a lifetime. In agony, as she

regained consciousness, she saw the last of their little hoard transferred to the

pockets of the tramps, and when they had finished they demanded to know where

she kept the rest, loosening her gag that she might reply.

182

The Mucker