those of the little boy as the man took a stout
cord from his pocket, bound Billy to the chair, and gagged him with
a large bath towel. Energetic Mr. Jones took the key out of the door,
shook his fist at the child, went out, and locked the door behind him.

Jimmy, seeing no hope of eluding Sarah Jane's vigilance, resorted to
strategy and deceit.

"'Tain't no fun setting out here," he called to her, "so I 'm going in
the house and take a nap."

She willingly consented, as she was through with her ironing and thought
to snatch a few winks of sleep herself.

The little boy slipped quietly through the house, noiselessly across
the back-yard and into his father's big garden, which was separated
from that of his neighbor by a high board-fence. He quickly climbed the
fence, flew across Miss Minerva's tomato patch and tiptoed up her back
steps to the back porch, his little bare feet giving no sign of his
presence. Hearing curious noises coming from the bad-room, where Billy
was bumping the chair up and down in his efforts to release his mouth,
he made for that spot, promptly unlocked the door, and walked in. Billy
by scuffling and tugging had freed his mouth from the towel that bound
it at that moment.

"Hush!" he whispered as Jimmy opened the door, "you'll get eat up alive
if you don't look out." His tone was so mysterious and thrilling and he
looked so scared tied to the chair that the younger boy's blood almost
froze in his veins.

"What you doing all tied up so?" he asked in low, frightened tones.

"Mr. Algernon Jones done it. I spec' he's a robber an' is jes'
a-robberin' right now," answered Billy.

"I'll untie you," said his chum.

"Naw; you better not," said Billy bravely. "He might git away. You leave
me jes' like he fixed me so's you can try to ketch him. I hear him in
the dinin'-room now. You leave me right here an' step over to yo' house
an' 'phone to some mens to come and git him quick. Shet the do' ag'in
an' don't make no noise. Fly, now!"

And Jimmy did fly. He again took the garden route and in a minute was at
the telephone with the receiver at his ear.

"Hello! Is that you, Miss Central? This is me," he howled into the
transmitter. "Gimme Miss Minerva's beau. I don't know his number, but
he's got a office over my papa's bank."

His father being out of town, the little boy shrewdly decided that Miss
Minerva's beau was the next best man to help capture the robber.

"Miss Minerva what lives by me,"