d
evidently been torn from the fence.

"Hold up your hands, and be quick about it!" said the man with the
pistol.

Chapter Twenty-seven

"Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of
his steps."

THE Bishop was not in the habit of carrying much money with him, and
the man with the stake who was searching him uttered an oath at the
small amount of change he found. As he uttered it, the man with the
pistol savagely said, "Jerk out his watch! We might as well get all
we can out of the job!"

The man with the stake was on the point of laying hold of the chain
where there was a sound of footsteps coming towards him.

"Get behind the fence! We haven't half searched him yet! Mind you
keep shut now, if you don't want--"

The man with the pistol made a significant gesture with it and, with
his companion, pulled and pushed the Bishop down the alley and
through a ragged, broken opening in the fence. The three stood still
there in the shadow until the footsteps passed.

"Now, then, have you got the watch?" asked the man with the pistol.

"No, the chain is caught somewhere!" and the other man swore again.

"Break it then!"

"No, don't break it," the Bishop said, and it was the first time he
had spoken. "The chain is the gift of a very dear friend. I should
be sorry to have it broken."

At the sound of the Bishop's voice the man with the pistol started
as if he had been suddenly shot by his own weapon. With a quick
movement of his other hand he turned the Bishop's head toward's what
little light was shining from the alleyway, at the same time taking
a step nearer. Then, to the amazement of his companion, he said
roughly: "Leave the watch alone! We've got the money. That's
enough!"

"Enough! Fifty cents! You don't reckon--"

Before the man with the stake could say another word he was
confronted with the muzzle of the pistol turned from the Bishop's
head towards his own.

"Leave that watch be! And put back the money too. This is the Bishop
we've held up--the Bishop--do you hear?"

"And what of it! The President of the United States wouldn't be too
good to hold up, if--"

"I say, you put the money back, or in five seconds I'll blow a hole
through your head that'll let in more sense than you have to spare
now!" said the other.

For a second the man with the stake seemed to hesitate at this
strange turn in events, as if measuring his companion's intention.
Then he hastily dropped th