d takes a piece of leather with strings wrapped
around it out of his pocket and goes outside the cave unwinding it.

"What's he up to now?" says Bill anxiously. "You don't think he'll run
away, do you, Sam?"

"No fear of it," says I. "He don't seem to be much of a home body. But
we've got to fix up some plan about the ransom. There don't seem to be
much excitement around Summit on account of his disappearance; but maybe
they haven't realized yet that he's gone. His folks may think he's
spending the night with Aunt Jane or one of the neighbors. Anyhow, he'll
be missed to-day. To-night we must get a message to his father demanding
the two thousand dollars for his return."

Just then we heard a kind of war-whoop, such as David might have emitted
when he knocked out the champion Goliath. It was a sling that Red Chief
had pulled out of his pocket, and he was whirling it around his head.

I dodged, and heard a heavy thud and a kind of a sigh from Bill, like a
horse gives out when you take his saddle off. A niggerhead rock the size
of an egg had caught Bill just behind his left ear. He loosened himself
all over and fell in the fire across the frying pan of hot water for
washing the dishes. I dragged him out and poured cold water on his head
for half an hour.

By and by, Bill sits up and feels behind his ear and says: "Sam, do you
know who my favorite Biblical character is?"

"Take it easy," says I. "You'll come to your senses presently."

"King Herod," says he. "You won't go away and leave me here alone, will
you, Sam?"

I went out and caught that boy and shook him until his freckles rattled.

"If you don't behave," says I, "I'll take you straight home. Now, are
you going to be good, or not?"

"I was only funning," says he sullenly. "I didn't mean to hurt Old Hank.
But what did he hit me for? I'll behave, Snake-eye, if you won't send me
home, and if you'll let me play the Black Scout to-day."

"I don't know the game," says I. "That's for you and Mr. Bill to decide.
He's your playmate for the day. I'm going away for a while, on business.
Now, you come in and make friends with him and say you are sorry for
hurting him, or home you go, at once."

I made him and Bill shake hands, and then I took Bill aside and told him
I was going to Poplar Cove, a little village three miles from the cave,
and find out what I could about how the kidnaping had been regarded in
Summit. Also, I thought it best to send a peremptory letter