lius, and next instant the
wretched Jonah was pinned again to the bank.

"What did you say he was?" asked Mr Halgrove, lighting a fusee.

"Oh, please, sir, please call him off. My assistant, sir."

"Oh! your assistant--in what? Highway robbery?"

"No, sir. In teaching a school. Please, sir, call him off." Mr
Halgrove paid no heed to the entreaty, but proceeded to extract numerous
particulars as to his ward's conduct and mode of life at Galloway House.

"So he's taken to minding little boys, has he? and you are his employer?
You are aware that you have a treasure of course?"

Even Trimble was not so dense as to miss the sneer with which the
inquiry was made. It emboldened him considerably.

"I dislike him; so does ma. We consider him a dangerous character."

Mr Halgrove laughed.

"What makes you think that?"

"There's a--oh, sir, please call off the dog--mystery about him.
He's--"

"Is that the reason you spied on him yesterday?"

"No, sir--that is--" for at that moment Julius growled--"yes, sir. I
thought if there was anything wrong it was my duty to the school to know
it, sir."

"Exemplary pedagogue! And now you know it? Eh?"

"Well, sir, I have my suspicions."

"No! And what might your suspicions be?"

"Oh, sir," replied the wretched Jonah, feeling like a blue-bottle on a
pin, "I believe he's a murderer in hiding. I really do."

"Clever little ferret! You've found that out, have you?"

"I feel no doubt about it," said Jonah, plucking up a little confidence.

"Don't feel any. When and where did the interesting event take place?"

"Oh, you could tell me that better than I can tell you," stammered
Trimble.

"Indeed!" said Mr Halgrove, his eyebrows going up ominously in the
dark.

"Of course I shouldn't--that is--I should never dream of getting _you_
into trouble, sir."

Mr Halgrove took his cigar out of his mouth and stared at the speaker.

"I'd wait till you were safe away in America, sir; and even then I
wouldn't let your name be known, you know, as an accomplice."

Mr Halgrove put his cigar back into his mouth, and changed his cane
from his left hand to his right.

"Fetch him here, Julius," said he, stepping back into the middle of the
road.

It was in vain the wretched Jonah howled and called for mercy.

"So you won't let my name be known as an accomplice! How very kind!"

And he gave practical proof of his gratitude by caning Jonah till both
were tired.

"Now goo