think hard," urged Mr. Cane sternly. "You must have eaten something
or you wouldn't be so sick. Think hard! What did you eat this afternoon,
all you boys together?"

"Nu--nu--nuthin'," was Sube's hopeless response.

"Now take your time," said Mr. Cane more soothingly. "Think over
everything you did this afternoon--everywhere you went--and I'm sure
you'll be able to remember eating _something_! Doesn't that remind you
of something?"

"Nu--nu--no, I told you!" sobbed Sube hoarsely, taking advantage of his
sickness to indulge in a little impertinence.

But his father overlooked it and tried another method of interrogation.
"Where did you go right after lunch?" he asked.

"Uh--uh--over to Stu--Stucky Richards'."

"All right. You went over to Stucky's after lunch. Then what did you
do?" Mr. Cane was going about it as he usually approached an unwilling
witness.

"Pu--pu--played."

"You played! All right. What did you play?"

"Tu--Tu--Ten Knights in a Bu--Bu--Bar-room."

"What's that!" gasped Mr. Cane.

"I tu--tu--told you once!"

"All right--all right--how did you play it?" asked the frantic parent.

"It tu--takes too lu--lu--long to tell--"

A serious spasm prevented any further questioning for some moments. Then
Mr. Cane tried again.

"What part did you take in this game?"

"It wu--wu--wasn't a game!"

"Well, what was it?"

"It was a mu--mu--mellerdrammer!"

Sube's father was becoming desperate. He had tried kindness without
effect. Something must be done before it was too late. Perhaps
intimidation would get something out of the boy.

"Sube," he began sternly, "I may as well tell you that you have been
poisoned by something you have put into your stomach! If you will only
tell me what it is perhaps I can save your life! If not, there's no
telling _what_ may happen! Now, what have you been eating this
afternoon?"

[Illustration]

But Sube was in the state where he would not thank anybody for saving
his life. His response was listless.

"Nu--nu--nuthin'."

At this moment Mrs. Cane, who with Annie had been in constant attendance
at the bedside of Cathead, whose malady seemed to be much more active
than Sube's, came into the room.

"What did you do with the ten-pound sack of sugar Annie says you carried
off?" she asked desperately.

It was necessary to repeat the question several times before she
succeeded in obtaining a reply.

"Pu--pu--put it in the su--su--cider," Sube finally confessed