His message perplexed his mind to that degree that he was fain$$$ several times$$$ to take off his hat to scratch his head. Except on the crown$$$ which was raggedly bald$$$ he had stiff$$$ black hair$$$ standing jaggedly all over it$$$ and growing down hill almost to his broad$$$ blunt nose. It was so like Smith's work$$$ so much more like the top of a strongly spiked wall than a head of hair$$$ that the best of players at leap-frog might have declined him$$$ as the most dangerous man in the world to go over.