Skippy had two things to show his delighted father when they met at the railroad station a few weeks later, by which time Skinner had confessed murdering Josiah Flint when mad with rage at having been caught stealing, and Skippy’s grief over Big Joe’s death had become less poignant. One was the gawky Mugs and the other a little satchel which he carried under his arm with the greatest care.

“What’s in there, Skippy son?” Toby asked after their outstretched arms had clung in an awkward embrace.

Skippy winked at his father mysteriously.

“I waited to tell you now, Pop—sort of as a surprise. It’s what Buck Flint calls redress money—money that Old Flint should have paid you and didn’t. And he says it’s for the price of the Minnie M. Baxter too. Altogether he said he figured Old Flint owed you a thousand dollars with interest—see Pop?”
196

Toby was overwhelmed.

“What we a-goin’ ter do with it, son?” he wanted to know.

“Whatever you say, Pop. There’s enough to buy another Minnie M. Baxter and more besides, huh? An’ there’s enough to buy a nice hot dog stand somewheres up in the mountains ............