He turned to the right and ran with all the speed he could command. A block ahead loomed the Mississippi. With his last remaining strength he stumbled toward it. A police car arrived just as he dived into the murky water. Two policemen scrambled from the car and ran toward the river bank. Sergeant Robert Kirk pulled his pistol from its holster as the boy's head reappeared above the water. "Halt!" he shouted. "Halt or I'll shoot!" The boy never paused. Kirk brought the gun up and sighted along the barrel. The boy's head came in line with the small v of the sight. "For the last time, halt!" The boy's head turned up. His wet blond hair shone in the sunlight. Kirk squeezed the trigger. Simultaneously with the report, the boy's hair sprang upward in startled protest; his arms gave one reflective jerk, and his face turned toward the sky. Slowly, slowly, the white features sank beneath the water. THE END