Bridge's companions and Willie Case looked their sur-prise at his mention of a bear; but the gypsy girl onlynodded her head as she had occasionally during his nar-rative.

"I believe you," exclaimed the girl. "It is not easy to de-ceive Giova. Now I tell you. This here," she pointedtoward the dead man, "he my father. He bad man. Steal; kill; drink; fight; but always good to Giova. Goodto no one else but Beppo. He afraid Beppo. Even ourpeople drive us out he, my father, so bad man. We wan-der 'round country mak leetle money when Beppodance; mak lot money when HE steal. Two days he nocome home. I go las' night look for him. Sometimes hetoo drunk come home he sleep Squeebs. I go there. Ifind heem dead. He have fits, six, seven fortnight. He die fit. Beppo stay guard heem. I carry heem home. Giovastrong, he no very large man. Beppo come too. I buryheem. No one know we leeve here. Pretty soon I goway with Beppo. Why tell people he dead. Who care?Mak lot trouble for Giova whomse heart already acheplenty. No one love heem, only Beppo and Giova. Noone love Giova, only Beppo; but some day Beppo hekeel Giova now HE is dead, for Beppo vera large, strongbear--fierce bear--ogly bear. Even Giova whom love Bep-po is afraid Beppo. Beppo devil bear! Beppo got evileye.

"Well," exclaimed Bridge, "I guess, Giova, that you and weare in the same boat. We sometimes haven't any of us done any-thing so somewhat bad but it would be embarrassing tohave to explain to the police what we have done," herehe glanced at The 0skaloosa Kid and the girl standingbeside the youth. "Suppose we form a defensive alli-ance, eh? We'll help you and you help us. What do yousay?"

"All right," acquiesced Giova; "but what we do withthis?" and she jerked her thumb toward Willie Case.