t?" asked Jasper, compassionately.

"He is very rough sometimes," said the wife, shrinking.

"I am sorry for you," said Jasper, gently. "Where is your husband now?"

"He went out this morning. Perhaps he is hunting. He never tells me
where he is going."

"When do you expect him back?"

"I can't tell. He may be here in five minutes; he may not be here before
night."

"In that case," thought Jasper, "I had better be off as soon as
possible. I should be no match for this brute in human form. Judging
from what I have heard of him, he would kill me without scruple if he
thought I were interfering with his plans."

"How long has this child been here?" he asked.

"Three or four days."

"I am going to take him away," proceeded Jasper, fixing his eyes
earnestly upon the woman, to see how she took the proposal.

"No, no!" she exclaimed, quickly. "My husband won't allow it."

"He won't know it."

"It won't do," she continued, rapidly. "He would kill you if he overtook
you."

This was a serious consideration, truly. Jasper had no weapons, and a
boy of his age would have been a poor match for a strong man, as the
kidnapper probably was.

"After all, I had better not interfere," he thought. "It can do no good,
and will only expose me to great danger."

But just at this instant the little boy's soft hand slid into his, and
he could not resist the touching appeal for his protection.

"I shall take the risk," he said. "I can't leave the boy here. I will
try to find his parents and restore him to them."

He had scarcely said this when the woman, who had casually glanced out
of the window, started up in alarm, exclaiming:

"There is my husband coming! Oh, what shall we do?"

CHAPTER XIX.

A BRUTE IN HUMAN SHAPE.

Jasper could not help feeling that he was in rather a critical position.
A man whose business it was to kidnap young children in order to extort
money from their friends was not likely to be very scrupulous, and the
fear of having his secret divulged might lead him to extreme measures.

"Is your husband likely to come up here?" he asked.

"I don't know; he may," answered the woman, anxiously.

"Can't you hide me?" suggested Jasper.

"Yes, yes," she said, recovering something of her presence of mind.
"There, get into that closet. I'll come and let you out when he is
gone."

She opened the door of a closet in one corner of the room. It was quite
dark inside, and except a stool, it was entir