w she started up, understanding that help had come. And there was a
creaking in the bedroom, where Barber was preparing to rise, while he
swore and grumbled under his breath. Only Johnnie did not stir. Between
his outstretched arms his yellow head lay as still as if it were stone.
Tied as he was, after all the long night hours his legs, held straight
down, had completely lost their feeling; and his arms were as dead as
his legs.

BANG! BANG! _BANG!_

"Aw, that'll do!" cried the longshoreman. He came slouching out of his
room. He was fully dressed, not having taken off his clothes the night
before. For it had been his intention to leave Cis and Johnnie tied for
an hour or two, then to get up and set them free. Now, seeing that it
was morning, he first gave a nervous glance at the clock, then hurriedly
dug into a pocket, fetched out his jack-knife, opened a blade, and cut
the ropes holding Cis; next, and quickly, he severed those tighter
strands which bound the boy.

Another bang, followed by an imperious rattling of the doorknob. Then,
"Tom Barber, are ye in? If ye are, open this second, or I'll break down
yer door!" It was Father Pat's voice, lacking breath, but deep with
anger.

It was plain to Big Tom that the priest knew of the trouble. "Now, who's
been runnin' t' _you_?" he snarled. "Never seen such a buildin' for
tattle tales!--Here! Set up!" (This to Cis, who wavered dizzily in her
chair as the longshoreman shoved her roughly against the back of it.)

"Let me in, I tell ye!" ordered the Father, "or I'll go out and find a
policeman!"

"All right! All right!"--impatiently. "Wait one minute!" Now Big Tom
hastened to lift Johnnie off the table and stand the boy upon his feet.

But the moment the support of Barber's hand was taken away, Johnnie
collapsed, going down to the floor in a soft, little heap, from the top
of which his blue-marked face looked up sightlessly at Big Tom.

Frightened, the latter lifted the boy and laid him in the morris chair.
The small, cold body, partially covered by the rags of Grandpa's old
undersuit, was so white and limp that it seemed lifeless. Hastily the
longshoreman threw his own coat over Johnnie, after which he swept
together the several lengths of clothesline and flung them out of sight
under the stove.

"Barber!"

The admitting of the priest could be put off no longer. For even as he
called, Father Pat had put his shoulder to the door, so that an old
panel was bending i