"We've got to find him before the posse does. Those men are scared and they won't take any chances with him. Even the sheriff is scared. If they find Tommy and he tries to run--and that's what he will try to do--they'll shoot him. Ben, we've got to find him first, to save his life." It took some time for this to sink in. And when it did sink in, I didn't like it. I tried to laugh it off. "A fine chance we have of finding him when this posse can't." "I can find him. I know where he is." "What?" "He has a cave about a mile from here. Every time he gets in trouble he runs there and hides. That's where he was going when those dogs almost caught him, to his cave. If we go there, we're almost certain to find him." "And get ourselves blown into mince-meat like those dogs!" I protested. "He won't--do anything to me. He knows me. I'm his friend." "Nuts, baby. We're not going." "All right," she said defiantly. "I'll go alone." She started walking away. "All right," I groaned. "I'll go with you. But you're taking an unfair advantage of me, and I know it." * * * * * The cave was in a ravine that led off from Ten Mile Valley. By the time we reached the place the moon was up but there wasn't much light down in the bottom of the ravine. Clumps of cedars grew everywhere, making dark blotches behind which anything might be lurking. A darker blotch was the mouth of the cave. "T--Tommy," Ellen called. There was no answer. I stood there in the darkness and wished to hell I was back in my office setting this story in type. Ellen was clinging to me so hard she was about to pull my arm off. A shadow seemed to move in the mouth of the cave. "Tommy," Ellen said quickly. "Don't be afraid. We've brought you some candy, Tommy. Don't you want some candy?" Silence. A wind went whispering through the cedars, setting my teeth to chattering. "We have some candy, Tommy?" There was a tiny creak, as of somebody shifting his weight. It came from the cave. I did not in the least doubt but that Tommy Sonofagun was standing there looking out at us, slingshot in hand, trying to make up his poor mind if we were after him. At this moment my memory chose to remind me of what had happened to those bloodhounds. They had been after him too. Anything that was after him he would shoot at. Cold sweat was dripping from under my arms and running down my body. "Why don't you come down and get the candy we brought you?" Ellen asked. "Scared," a dull, choked voice said from the mouth of the cave. Tommy was there all right. He was watching us. He wanted candy. But he was scared. He wasn't a tenth as scared as I was! Dillinger with a pistol would not have been near as dangerous as this half man who lurked in the cave mouth. You could talk to Dillinger. He wouldn't shoot without a reason. You could talk to Tommy but he wouldn't understand.