old road leading through the timber towards
Feeney's. As the car bumped along over the rough places, Quinn seemed to
be suffering greatly, his tightly bound ankles being the cause of his
present misery.

"Honest, boy," he began, "at least loose my legs! I sprained my ankle
somehow in our scrap back yonder. Besides, there's a boil on my leg.
Just loosen it up a bit--that's a good kid!"

One would have supposed that with the previous experience they had had
with this man, Billy would have given no heed. But Billy, naturally
soft-hearted, saw real tears in the man's eyes. His looks and manner now
were in such sharp contrast to that exhibited when he felt himself on
the verge of an escape that even Worth felt a certain compunction. Could
the man be shamming all the time, first in one way, then in another?

With a side look at Phil, who was watching the road as he steered, he
bent forward as he said:

"Does the cord hurt you like that? Will you promise to be quiet if I
loosen up those leg cords a bit? But mind you, none of your shenanigan,
if I do!"

"No--no--no--course not!" Thus the man mumbled, his breath coming and
going tremulously, but his wet eyes, resting on Billy appealingly,
suddenly changed their expression as Billy's head bent down over the
cord, and a swift, crafty gleam shot from under his treacherous brows,
while Worth was bending over the confined legs. Meantime Phil, trusting
to Billy's watchfulness, was fully occupied with the wheel and the
brakes, for right here was a bad bit of going.

In manipulating the cord so as to loosen it a little--not too much--and
while, in order to deceive Billy, the fellow kept up his groaning,
Billy's fingers were all needed. He hastily tucked under his arm the
tube for a moment, as he contended with a stubborn portion of the knot.

Watching both the condition of the loosening knot and noting that no one
else seemed to be regarding them, the man shoved his legs apart. At the
same time he seized the tube with both hands, jerking it from the arms
of Worth. Then, springing to his feet, he raised the tube upward--all in
the twinkling of an eye, so to speak.

With one shoulder he pushed Billy heavily, so that the boy dropped back
into his seat just as Quinn levelled a quick blow across the tonneau at
Phil, still busy at the wheel. The blow came as a complete surprise to
the latter, still fully occupied with the wheel and the brakes.
Fortunately Phil happened to bend forwar