up with one safe-blower is
enough, and now you've stuck three murderers into this rotten hole. I
tell you I can give bail. I tell you----"

The jailer snarled and bade him be quiet. In the tone of a man who is
careful of his words he threatened the direst punishment for any further
expression of the gentleman's opinions. Whereupon the gentleman seized
the bars and shook them violently, and then, as though satisfied that
they were steel of the best quality, dropped his arms to his sides with a
gesture of impotent despair.

"Father!"

In spite of Constance's assertion, confirmed by Cassowary, Deering had
not believed that his father was in jail; but the outraged gentleman who
had demanded the writ of habeas corpus was, beyond question, Samuel J.
Deering, head of the banking-house of Deering, Gaylord & Co. Mr. Deering
was striding toward his bench with the sulky droop of a premium batter
who has struck out with the bases full.

Scorning to glance at the creature in rags who had flung himself in his
path, Samuel J. Deering lunged at him fiercely with his right arm. Billy,
ducking opportunely, saved his indignant parent from tumbling upon the
floor by catching him in his arms. Feeling that he had been attacked by a
ruffian, Mr. Deering yelled that he was being murdered.

"I'm Billy! For God's sake, be quiet!"

The senior Deering tottered to the wall.

"Billy! What are _you_ in for?" he demanded finally.

"Burglary, arson, and little things like that," Billy answered with a
jauntiness that surprised him as much as it pained his father, who
continued to stare uncomprehendingly.

"You've been reading that damned book, too, have you?" he whispered
hoarsely in his son's ear. "You've gone crazy like everybody else, have
you?"

"I've been kidnapped, if that's what you mean," Billy answered with a
meaningful glance over his shoulder, and then with a fine attempt at
bravado: "I'm Friar Tuck, and that chap smoking a pipe is Robin Hood."

Ordinarily his father's sense of humor could be trusted to respond to an
intelligent appeal. A slow grin had overspread Mr. Deering's face as
Friar Tuck was mentioned, but when Billy added Robin Hood his father's
countenance underwent changes indicative of hope, fear, and chagrin.
Clinging to Billy's shoulder, he peered through the gloom of the cage
toward Hood, who lay on a bench, his coat rolled up for a pillow,
tranquilly smoking, with his eyes fixed upon the steel roof.

"Hood!" Mr.