They did not fail, as they said, to "try him out." Nor did Phil, in these trials, attempt in any way to assist his pupil.

But the men learned very quickly, as Curly had learned at the time of Patches' introduction, that, while the new man was always ready to laugh with them when a joke was turned against himself, there was a line beyond which it was not well to go.

In the work he was, of course, assigned only to such parts as did not require the skill and knowledge of long training and experience.

But he did all that was given him to do with such readiness and skill, thanks to Phil's teaching, that the men wondered.

And this, together with his evident ability in the art of defending himself, and the story of his strange coming to the Cross-Triangle, caused not a little talk, with many and varied opinions as to who he was, and what it was that had brought him among them.