' don't you
fergit it."

"Why, Daddy Crow, he was the most heartless brute in the world!" cried
Rosalie. "I've seen him knock her down more than once--and kick her,
too."

"A slip of the memory, that's all. He was probably thinkin' of his wife,
if he has one."

At a public meeting the town board was condemned for its failure to
strengthen the jail at the time Anderson made his demand three years
before.

"What's the use in me catchin' thieves, and so forth, if the jail won't
hold 'em?" Anderson declared. "I cain't afford to waste time in runnin'
desperite characters down if the town board ain't goin' to obstruct 'em
from gittin' away as soon as the sun sits. What's the use, I'd like to
know? Where's the justice? I don't want it to git noised aroun' that the
on'y way we c'n hold a prisoner is to have him commit suicide as soon as
he's arrested. Fer two cents I'd resign right now."

Of course no one would hear to that. As a result, nearly five hundred
dollars was voted from the corporation funds to strengthen and modernise
the "calaboose." It was the sense of the meeting that a "sweat box"
should be installed under Mr. Crow's supervision, and that the marshal's
salary should be increased fifty dollars a year. After the adoption of
this popular resolution Mr. Crow arose and solemnly informed the people
that their faith in him was not misplaced. He threw the meeting into a
state of great excitement by announcing that the kidnapers would soon be
in the toils once more. In response to eager queries he merely stated
that he had a valuable clew, which could not be divulged without
detriment to the cause. Everybody went home that night with the
assurance that the fugitives would soon be taken. Anderson promised the
town board that he would not take them until the jail was repaired.

It was almost a fortnight before Wicker Bonner was able to walk about
with crutches. The wound in his leg was an ugly one and healed slowly.
His uncle, the Congressman, sent up a surgeon from New York, but that
worthy approved of "Doc" Smith's methods, and abruptly left the young
man to the care of an excellent nurse, Rosalie Gray. Congressman
Bonner's servants came over every day or two with books, newspapers,
sweetmeats, and fresh supplies from the city, but it was impossible for
them to get any satisfaction from the young man in reply to their
inquiries as to when he expected to return to the big house across the
river. Bonner was beginnin