n? and in _this_ style!" said poor Caroline. "Where
_did_ you come from?"

"From up a tree, at last accounts. Hullo, boys! I'd come down on my
trotters, and hug you all round, but my friend here would be jealous."

Jack was confounded.

"Is _this_ your Cousin Rad?" he cried, as the boys crowded near. "I'm
sorry to know it, for he's the fellow who ran off with my horse. Where
did _you_ ever see him before, Vinnie?"

"He is the one I told you about,--in Chicago," said Vinnie, astonished
to find her waggish acquaintance, the elegant Radcliff Betterson, and
this captive vagabond, the same person.

CHAPTER XXXI.

RADCLIFF.

Lord Betterson now came out of the house, calm and stately, but with
something of the look in his eye, as he turned it upon his nephew, which
Jack had observed when it menaced Peakslow at the gap of the fence.

"Ah, Radcliff! you have returned? Why don't you alight?" And he touched
his hat to Jack.

"Your nephew may tell you the reason, if he will," Jack replied.

"The long and the short of it is this," said Radcliff, betraying a good
deal of trouble, under all his assumed carelessness: "When I was on my
way home, a few weeks ago, this young man asked me to drive in some deer
for him. He gave me his horse to ride. I made a mistake, and rode him
too far."

"You, Radcliff!" said Lord Betterson, sternly; while Mrs. Betterson went
into hysterics on Vinnie's shoulder, and was taken into the house.

"We thought of Rad when you described him," Rufe said to Jack. "But we
couldn't believe he would do such a thing."

[Illustration: JACK AND HIS JOLLY PRISONER.]

"'Twas the most natural thing in the world," Rad explained. "I was
coming home because I was hard up. I didn't steal the horse,--he was put
into my hands; it was a breach of trust, that's all you can make of it.
Necessity compelled me to dispose of him. With money in my pocket, what
was the use of my coming home? I took my clothes out of pawn, and was
once more a gentleman. Money all gone, I spouted my clothes again,--fell
back upon this inexpensive rig,--took to the country, remembered I had a
home, and was making for it, when this young man overtook me just now,
and gave me a seat in his buggy."

"The matter appears serious," said Lord Betterson. "Am I to understand
that you have taken my nephew prisoner?"

"He can answer that question," said Jack.

"Well, I suppose that is the plain English of it," replied Radcliff.
"Come, n