THE TWO CROSSES I guess maybe I'd better tell you about Skinny now, so you'll know all about who he is.

Before I was a scout I used to call him Wash-board, because he was so skinny you could have used his ribs for a wash-board.
I guess I used to think that was funny, but, gee, when you get to be a scout you find out what real fun is and you don't call names like that.
He always lived down in Barrel Alley and his mother goes out washing.
Once Skinny's father hit him on the head and it made him queer like.

But he got better mostly.

Only he was always afraid of people after that.

His father went away and got killed.