The drapery was lifted, and they passed into a room as large as the
one they were in. On a table in the centre a substantial meal,
consisting principally of roast beef, was set forth. An old colored
woman--intensely black and slightly deformed--hovered near, evidently
the cook.

"Juba," said the outlaw, "this is a new boarder. His name is Ernest,"

"Glad to see you, Massa Ernest," rejoined the old woman, nodding her
turban. "Sit down here next to Massa Frank."

It seemed very strange to Ernest to reflect that he was the guest of
one of the famous outlaws of whom he had heard so much. He was half
inclined to doubt whether it was real. If he had been alone he would
have pinched himself to see whether he was awake or dreaming. Here he
was, in the bowels of the earth, on intimate terms with an outlaw and
his family. How long was he to stay in the cavern? That was a
question impossible to answer. Meanwhile he was hungry, and the
dinner was well cooked.

In spite of his being a prisoner and the loss of the packet, Ernest
was almost ashamed of himself for the appetite which he manifested.
But it seemed to give pleasure to Juba, who regarded it as a
compliment to her cookery.

"Where is Uncle John, papa?" asked Frank, suddenly.

Ernest remembered that one of the Fox brothers was named John, and he
awaited the answer with interest.

James Fox seemed busily thinking, and Frank had to repeat the
question.

"Your Uncle John?" repeated the outlaw. "He went away on business."

"What kind of business, papa?"

It was a natural question, but it startled James Fox. He saw that as
his son became older it might not be easy to evade embarrassing
questions.

"You seem curious, Frank," he answered after a pause. "You wouldn't
understand if I were to tell you."

"Will you teach me your business some day, papa?"

It was on the tip of the outlaw's tongue to say, "Heaven forbid!" but
he only answered, "Wait till you are older, Frank. Then we will talk
about it."

At length they rose from the table.

They went back to the main room, and Ernest read a little more to the
young boy. But Frank's eyes grew heavy, and he finally dropped off to
sleep.

"Shall I lay him on the bed, Mr. Fox?" asked Ernest.

"No, I will do so."

He took the boy tenderly in his arms.

"If I had known he would fall asleep I would have undressed him," he
said.

After placing the boy on the bed he resumed his seat in the arm-chair
and began to s