H /tin /wUdmAn waz jMZjMalI a pIsfal mAn, bat wen akEZn rikwFrd hI kUd fFt Az fIrslI Az a /rOman glAdIEtar. sO, wen H /JAkdYz nIrlI nokd him dQn in HEr raS v wiNz, n HEr Syrp bIks n klYz Tretand t dAmiJ hiz briljant plEtN, H /wUdmAn pikd ap hiz Aks n mEd i warl swiftlI arQnd hiz hed.
bat YlHO menI war bItan of in Hs wE, H bardz war sO nMmaras n sO brEv Ht HE kntinjMd H atAk Az fjarIaslI Az bifYr. sam v Hem pekd At H Fz v H /gamp, wic haN Ovar H nest in a helplis kndiSn; bat H /gamp's Fz war v glAs n kUd not b inJard. aHarz v H /JAkdYz raSd At H /sY-/hyrs; bat Ht Animal, bIiN stil apon hiz bAk, kikd Qt sO viSaslI wiT hiz wUdan legz Ht hI bIt of Az menI asElants Az did H /wUdmAn'z Aks.
fFndN Hemselvz Has apOzd, H bardz fel apon H /skErkrO'z scrY, wic lE At H sentar v H nest, kavard /tip n H /wogal-/bag n /JAk's pampkin hed, n bigAn tErN i awE n flFiN of wiT i, OnlI t let i Jrop, scrY bF scrY intM H grEt galf binIT.
H /skErkrO'z hed, nOtN wiT dismE Hs wontan descrakSn v hiz intIrIar, krFd t H /tin /wUdmAn t sEv him; n Ht gUd frend rispondd wiT rinMd evarJI. hiz Aks fErlI flASd amaN H /JAkdYz, n fYrcanatlI H /gamp bigAn wFldlI wEvN H tM wiNz rimEnN on H left sFd v its bodI. H flatar v HIz grEt wiNz fild H /JAkdYz wiT tErar, n wen H /gamp bF its egzarSnz frId itself fram H peg v rok on wic i haN, n sANk flopN intM H nest, H alyrm v H bardz nM nO bQndz n HE fled skrImN Ovar H mQntanz.
wen H lAst fO hAd disapIrd, /tip krYld fram andar H sOfaz n asistd H /wogal-/bag t folO him.
"wI r sEvd!" SQtd H bq, dilFtdlI.
"wI r, indId!" rispondd H /eJjMkEtd /insekt, fErlI hagN H stif hed v H /gamp in hiz Jq, "n w O i Yl t H flopN v H /TiN, n H gUd Aks v H /wUdmAn!"
"if F Am sEvd, get mI Qt v hIr!" kYld /JAk; hMz hed waz stil binIT H sOfaz; n /tip mAniJd t rOl H pampkin Qt n plEs i apon its nek agen. hI YlsO set H /sY-/hYrs aprFt, n sed t i:
"w O jM menI TANks f H gAlant fFt jM mEd."
"F rIlI TiNk wI hAv eskEpd vErI nFslI," rimyrkd H /tin /wUdmAn, in a tOn v prFd.
"not sO!" eksklEmd a holO vqs.
At Hs HE Yl tarnd in sarprFz t lUk At H /skErkrO'z hed, wic lE At H bAk v H nest.
"F Am kmplItlI rMind!" diklErd H /skErkrO, Az hI nOtd HEr astoniSmnt. "f wEr z H scrY Ht stufs mF bodI?"
H Yfal kwescn styrtld Hem Yl. HE gEzd arQnd H nest wiT hYrar, f not a vestiJ v scrY rimEnd. H /JAkdYz hAd stOlan i t H lAst wisp n flaN i Yl intM H cAzm Ht jYnd f hanJredz v fIt binIT H nest.
"mF pYr, pYr frend!" sed H /tin /wUdmAn, tEkN ap H /skErkrO'z hed n kyresN i tendarlI; "hMevar kUd imAJin jM wUd kam t Hs antFmlI end?"
"F did i t sEv mF frendz," ritarnd H hed; "n F Am glAd Ht F pEriSd in sO nObal n anselfiS a mAnar."
"bat wF r jM Yl sO despondant?" inkwFrd H /wogal-/bag. "H /skErkrO'z klOHN z stil sEf."
"jes," Ansard H /tin /wUdmAn; "bat Qr frend'z klOz r jMslis wiTQt stafN."
"wF not staf him wiT manI?" Askd /tip.
"manI!" HE Yl krFd, in an amEzd kYras.
"t b Sar," sed H bq. "in H botan v H nest r TQzandz v dolar bilz -- n tM-dolar bilz -- n fFv-dolar bilz -- n tenz, n twentIz, n fiftIz. HEr r Inaf v Hem t stuf a dazan /skErkrOz. wF not jMz H monI?"
H /tin /wUdmAn bigAn t tarn Ovar H rabiS wiT H hAndal v hiz Aks; n, Sar Inaf, wat HE hAd farst TYt OnlI warTlis pEparz war fQnd t b Yl bilz v vErIas dinominESnz, wic H miscivas /JAkdYz hAd f jIrz bin engEJd in stIlN fram H viliJz n sitIz HE vizitd.
HEr waz an imens fYrcan lFiN in Ht inAksesabal nest; n /tip's saJesJn waz, wiT H /skErkrO'z knsent, kwiklI Aktd apon.
HE selektd Yl H nMist n klInist bilz n asYrtd Hem intM vErIas pFlz. H /skErkrO'z left leg n bMt war stafd wiT fFv-dolar bilz; hiz rFt leg waz stafd wiT ten-dolar bilz, n hiz bodI sO klOslI fild wiT fiftIz, wan-hanJredz n wan-TQzandz Ht hI kUd skErslI batan hiz JAkit wiT kamfart.
"jM r nQ," sed H /wogal-/bag, impresivlI, wen H tAsk hAd bin kmplItd, "H mOst vAljMabal membar v Qr pyrtI; n Az jM r amaN fETfal frendz HEr z lital dEnJar v jYr bIiN spent."
"TANk jM," ritarnd H /skErkrO, grEtfalI. "F fIl lFk a nM mAn; n YlHO At farst glAns F mFt b mistEkan f a /sEftI /dipozit /vYlt, F beg jM t rimembar Ht mF /brEnz r stil kmpOzd v H sEm Old matIrIal. n HIz r H pazeSnz Ht hAv YlwEz mEd mI a parsan t b dipendd apon in an ImarJansI."
"wel, H ImarJansI z hIr," abzarvd /tip; "n anles jYr brEnz help as Qt v i wI SAl b kmpeld t pAs H rimEndar v Qr lFvz in Hs nest."
"hQ abQt HIz wiSN pilz?" enkwFrd H /skErkrO, tEkN H boks fram hiz JAkit pokit. "kAn't wI jMz Hem t eskEp?"
"not anles wI kn kQnt sevantIn bF tMz," Ansard H /tin /wUdmAn. "bat Qr frend H /wogal-/bag klEmz t b hFlI eJMkEtd, sO hI Yt IzilI t figjar Qt hQ Ht kn b dan."
"i izn't a kwescn v eJMkESn," ritarnd H /insekt; "it's mjarlI a kwescn v mATmAtiks. F'v sIn H prafesar wark lots v samz on H blAkbYrd, n hI klEmd enITiN kUd b dan wiT ã'z n j'z n A'z n sac TiNz, bF miksN Hem ap wiT plentI v plasz n mFnasz n IkwYlz, n sO fYrT. bat hI nevar sed enITiN, sO fyr Az F kn rImembar, abQt kQntN ap t H od nambar v sevantIn bF H Ivan nambarz v tMz."
"stop! stop!" krFd H /pampkinhed. "jY'r mEkN mF hed Ek."
"n mFn," Add H /skErkrO. "jYr mATemAtiks sIm t mI vErI lFk a botal v miksd pikalz H mYr jM fiS f wat jM wont H les cAns jM hAv v getN i. F Am sartan Ht if H TiN kn b akampliSd At Yl, i z in a vErI simpal mAnar."
"jes," sed /tip, "Old /mombI kUdn't jMz ã's n mFnasz, f SI nevar went t skMl."
"wF not styrt kQntN At a hAf v wan?" Askd H /sY-/hYrs, abraptlI. "Hn enIwan kn kQnt ap t sevantIn bF tMz vErI IzilI."
HE lUkd At Ic aHar in sarprFz, f H /sY-/hYrs waz knsidard H mOst stMpid v H entFr pyrtI.
"jM mEk mI kwFt aSEmd v mFself," sed H /skErkrO, bQiN lO t H /sY-/hYrs.
"nevarHales, H krIcar z rFt," diklErd H /wogal-/bag; "f twFs wan-hAf z wan, n if jM get t wan i z IzI t kQnt fram wan ap t sevantIn bF tMz."
"F wandar F didn't TiNk v Ht mFself," sed H /pampkinhed.
"F dOn't," ritarnd H /skErkrO. "jY'r nO wFzar Hn H rest v as, r jM? bat let as mEk a wiS At wans. hM wil swYlO H farst pil?"
"sapOz jM d i," saJestd /tip.
"F kAn't," sed H /skErkrO.
"wF not? jM'v a mQT, hAvan't jM?" Askd H bq.
"jes; bat mF mQT z pEntd on, n HEr'z nO swYlO knektd wiT i," Ansard H /skErkrO. "in fAkt," hI kntinjMd, lUkN fram wan t anaHar kritikalI, "F bilIv H bq n H /wogal-/bag r H OnlI wanz in Qr pyrtI Ht r Ebal t swYlO."
obzarvN H crMT v Hs rimyrk, /tip sed:
"Hn F wil andartEk t mEk H farst wiS. giv mI wan v H /silvar /pilz."
Hs H /skErkrO crFd t d; bat hiz pAdd gloavz war tM klamzI t klac sO smYl an obJekt, n hI held H boks tYrd H bq wFl /tip selektd wan v H pilz n swYlOd i.