Pop took a purse from his pocket, counted out thirty-nine cents, and passed it through the bars. Jeff pocketed the money. "What's the next town?" "Stay right in the valley. Seven miles down, you'll come to Delview. You can't miss, and heaven help Delview if they pick you up!" "Any other place?" "North through the mountains there's Smithville. Better not try it, there's no direct road and those mountains are plenty rugged." "Good town, though," Ike called. "That constable in Smithville, he minds his own business most of the time. So does most ever'body else. It pays, in Smithville." "Wild place, huh?" "Not wild," Ike declared. "Just sensible." "I'll go to Delview," Jeff decided. "That's worse'n Cressman," Ike snorted. "They jail you there for lookin' cross-eyed." "You got to go now," Joe pointed out. "You took Pop's money." "Open the cell." "'Bye, Jeff," Ike called. "Me'n Bucky may be seeing you." "Take care of yourselves." Outside, instead of going to the main street, Jeff slipped behind the court house. Two more moving shadows in a place of shadows, he and Pal flitted past a cluster of lilacs and darted to a patch of trees. They threaded their way through the town, always alert and careful. Again on the outskirts of Cressman, Jeff heaved a sigh of relief and walked swiftly down the road. Once more Pal had saved the day; apparently Pop and the constable had wanted only, and wholeheartedly, to be rid of them. Jeff felt a little saddened. The shining name of Tarrant Enterprises, Ltd., had become a little tarnished in Cressman. The concern had spent money and earned little enough. Jeff was startled by the gruff command, "Wait thar!" He halted. A man stepped out of the shadows, looked closely at him, pointed a sawed-off shotgun at the ground and said, "Go ahead." Jeff thought of Ike and Bucky. Probably this man was one of the pickets waiting for them. He recovered his cheer. There were always fresh customers down the road, but they would not be where Jeff had told Joe Parker he intended to seek them. It would be no difficult matter to send a message to Delview, and to ask the police there to be alert for a peddler accompanied by a huge dog. At the first break in the mountains, Jeff left the road and started for the opportunities that must surely await him in Smithville. 4. THE CABIN The rising sun turned the tops of the mountains to gold, and like slow-flowing water, sunshine crept gradually down the slopes. In a grove of pines, a chickaree came out of the warm nest where he had spent the night. Three inches from his nest, the chickaree paused on an outjutting stub.