"Come," she said to her daughter. They withdrew to the women's half of
the dressing-tent, leaving him to devour his feast alone. Slowly the
others, taking their cue, edged away. When next the clown approached
him, fresh from a merry whirl in the ring, the tray was on the
mattress at his side, every particle of food gone. The boy's face was
in his hands, his elbows on his knees.
"Well, you _was_ 'ungry," said the kindly voice. The boy looked up, his
eyelids heavy.
"I reckon I was almost asleep," he said. "I haven't slept much of
late."
Suddenly it dawned on him that the clown was staring intently at his
face. With quick understanding he shrank back, but did not withdraw
his gaze from the eyes of the other.
"By jingo!" muttered the motley one. "You--you are the one they're
'unting for--all over the state. The reward bills! I remember now!"
The lad had risen. A look of abject misery and dread leaped in his
eyes.
"Let me go!" he said, almost in a whisper, fiercely intense. "I'll get
out. I haven't done any harm to you. Don't keep me here a minute--"
"Then you _are_ the Jenison boy!" in open-mouthed wonder.
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