to be seen.This puzzled Link; who had no means of knowing that the time was closeon midnight. He started toward the store. At least that was thedirection he planned to take. But when, at the end of five minutes, hefound he was outside the village and on a narrow road that bordered thelake, he saw his friends had mistaken the way. He stopped abruptly andtold them so.

  One of them laughed; as if Link had said something funny. The other didsomething quickly with one foot and one arm. Ferris's legs went fromunder him. The jar of his fall shook from him a fraction of hisdrunkenness, and it gave him enough sense to realize that the man whohad laughed was trying to unfasten the pinned inner pocket of thefallen man's vest.

  Now for years that pocket had been the secret repository of LinkFerris's sparse wealth. The intruder's touch awakened him to a drowsysense of peril. He thrust aside the fumbling hand and made a herculeaneffort to rise.

  At this show of resistance his two comrades, as by concerted signal,threw themselves upon him. With a yell of angry fright Link collapsedto earth under the dual impact.