nk so; but jest as soon as I left the town they was bound to
have their eyes open mighty wide, 'cause I guess it must be known up to
perlice headquarters that I'm in on this case. Where's Joe?"

Master Plummer told the amateur detective of the very pleasant refuge
they had found, and concluded by saying:

"First off we couldn't talk with the old woman at all; but at
dinner-time a kid about half as big as me, what calls her 'grandmarm,'
come home, an' he knew how to talk United States. Little as he was, he
could chin in the old woman's lingo as fast as she. That fixed things
for us. Joe said he was out lookin' for work, which is the dead truth
when you come to that, an' made a trade for us to stay there a couple of
days. I was 'fraid they'd ask about the princess, but it seems like they
didn't. They thought she belonged to us straight enough, so it's been
all plain sailin'."

"I didn't get over here any too soon, if you fellers have gone to
stoppin' at a house."

"But why shouldn't we, when we found one like that where they'll take us
in mighty cheap? An' say, that old woman is the boss cook!"

"An' she'll get in jail, too, if you keep on this way. Here's you an'
Joe advertised for by the lawyers, an' yet are sich chumps as to settle
right down where the detectives will get on to you the very first
thing."

"I ain't been advertised for."

"Well, that's where you make a mistake, Master Smartie. Perhaps you
haven't seen the evenin' papers."

"What's in them?" Plums cried, in a tone of alarm.

"Pretty much the same as what you saw in the _Herald_ this mornin', only
that they're offerin' to pay for any news of Joe Potter an' a feller
what's called 'Plums.'"

"Do you mean that, Dan? Are they really advertisin' for me?" Master
Plummer asked, in a tone of terror.

"That's what they're doin', an' the way the cops are chasin' 'round town
huntin' up bootblacks an' newsboys is a caution. Three different ones
asked Jerry Hayes if he knew you or Joe; but you can bet they didn't
find out very much. Jerry's sharp enough to keep his mouth shut."

"But what do they want me for? What have I done?"

"I reckon it's 'cause Joe slept at your house. Now the only safe thing
is for us to strike off into the country as quick as we know how. We've
got to walk all night before we so much as think of stoppin'."

"But what about the princess? We can't make that little thing travel
from post to pillar."

"If Joe Potter hadn't been a