lessness took possession of him. He looked the man squarely
in the eyes. His voice was firm and his hands were clenched with
resolution. "I will not go with you," he said.

"What's that?" Craft looked down on the boy in astonishment.

"I say I will not go with you," repeated Ralph; "that's all--I won't
go."

Then the old man's wrath was let loose.

"You beggar!" he shouted, "how dare you disobey me! I'll teach you!"
He raised his cane threateningly as he spoke.

"Hit me," said Ralph, "kill me if you want to; I'd ruther die than go
back to live with you."

Old Simon grasped his cane by its foot and raised it above his
head. In another instant it would have descended on the body of the
unfortunate boy; but in that instant some one seized it from behind,
wrenched it from Craft's weak grasp, and flung it into the street.

It was Bachelor Billy; He had entered at the open door unseen. He
seized Craft's shoulders and whirled him around till the two men stood
face to face.

"Mon!" he exclaimed, "mon! an' yon steck had a-fallen o' the lad's
head, I dinna ken what I s'ould 'a' done till ye. Ye're lucky to be
auld an' sick, or ye s'ould feel the weight o' ma han' as it is."

But Craft was not subdued. On the contrary his rage grew more fierce.
"What's the boy to you?" he shouted, savagely. "You leave us alone. He
belongs to me; he shall go with me."

It was a full half-minute before Bachelor Billy's dull mind grasped
the situation. Meanwhile he was looking down into Ralph's white face.
Then he turned again to Craft.

"Never!" he said, solemnly. "Ye s'all never tak' 'im. I'll see the lad
in his grave first." After a moment he continued, "It's no' safe for
ye to stay longer wi' us; it's better ye s'ould go."

Then another man entered at the open door. It was the sheriff of
Luzerne County. He held the writ of _habeas corpus_ in his hand.

"Why didn't you wait for me," he said, turning angrily to Craft,
"instead of coming here to pick a quarrel with these people?"

"That's none of your business," replied the old man. "You've got your
writ, now do your duty or I'll--" A fit of coughing attacked him, and
he dropped into a chair to give way to it.

The sheriff looked at him contemptuously for a moment, then he turned
to Bachelor Billy.

"This miserable old man," he said, "has had a writ of _habeas corpus_
issued, commanding you to produce immediately before the judge at
Wilkesbarre the body of the boy Ralph. It is my