“Now I’ve got you!” yelled the colored man, as he ran up to Ned, and hauled him from the hole. “I’ve got you! What’d you steal?”
“I didn’t steal anything,” Ned answered. “It’s all a mistake. Please let me go!”
“Hold him!” cried Cassidy, appearing at that moment from the front entrance of the house, up the stairs of which Ned had dashed a few minutes before. “Don’t let him get away!”
“He’ll not get away,” replied the negro.
Cassidy came up and took charge of Ned. Quite a crowd gathered, but the lodging house keeper answered none of the many questions asked him.
“Guess he’s a detective,” was the general whisper that went around, and Cassidy did not correct it.
“You come with me!” he said to Ned. “Don’t try any of your tricks again, or it’ll be the worse for you.”
And he marched Ned off.