"Then he saw he'd made a break.
"'Why, they all told me you caught a smuggler, or something, and had a claim against the Government for a hundred dollars.'
"'A hundred!' I yelled. 'Twenty thousand!'
"'Oh!' said he, 'as much as that? Why, I'll get you out this afternoon.'
"'How?' said I.
"'Well, you will have to assign your claim so I can raise the money on it. It's a mere form.'
"But the thought came into my mind, Better stay there ten years than let him have the claim; so I said that I didn't understand such things, and I'd just wait until I could be tried.
"'Tried?' said he. 'Why, you won't be tried for months.'
"My heart sank right down into my boots.
"'Don't be a fool!' he went on. 'Here you are, sick and in prison, and if you don't raise money to get a bondsman you'll stay here a long time. You might die. And if you assign that claim to me, I have a pull with the Judge and I'll have you out by supper-time.'