berty, and he
retreated.

The officers were in a position where they could stop him from leaving
the tent by either of the two entrances; and Noddy, finding his exit
prevented, seized a rope which was hanging down by the centre-pole, and
climbed up out of the reach of his pursuers.

"What do you want of me?" demanded the young athlete, as he perched
himself in a comfortable position on the "slack-rope," which was
suspended to the pole.

"We shall not do you any harm, my boy," said one of the officers.

"What do you want of me?"

"There is good news for you; and you are wanted over at Squire Wriggs's
office."

"I know ye! You want to take me to the court-house. You can't humbug
me," said Noddy, fully confirmed in his suspicions by the conduct of the
men.

"We won't hurt you."

"You want to take me up."

"No, we don't; we only want to take you up to Squire Wriggs's office.
It's all for your good."

"No, you don't," replied Noddy. "You can't cheat me."

"We don't want to cheat you. We are only sent to find you. We will not
arrest you."

"I know better. You can't fool me. I heard Squire Wriggs say he wanted
to take me up to the court-house; and you don't catch me near no
court-house. I know what you mean."

"You are mistaken, my boy. Come down, and I will tell you all about it."

"When I do, you let me know," replied Noddy, who felt so secure from
arrest in his present quarters that he expressed his mind with perfect
freedom.

"We promise not to arrest you," persisted the constable who did the
talking. "We have been looking for you all day."

"You may look another day, if you like," added the defiant refugee. "You
want me for setting fire to the boat-house; but I am not to blame, if I
did do it."

"We don't know anything about the boat-house; Squire Wriggs has a lot of
money for you."

"You can't catch an old bird in any such trap as that," answered Noddy,
shaking his head significantly.

The officers used all their powers of persuasion to induce him to come
down; but Noddy, satisfied that they had been sent by Squire Wriggs, was
fully persuaded that they were trying to deceive him. The story about a
"lot of money" for a poor boy like him, who had not a friend in the
world, was too absurd, in his estimation, to be entertained for a
moment. He had heard the squire speak to Mr. Grant about thirty thousand
dollars; but such a sum was beyond his comprehension. He did not believe
any man, not even the