“Ben,” said Tom inspecting it, “this is another of my old cards.”
“What’s written on the back, Tom?” inquired Ben eagerly.
Tom held the card so Ben could read it as well as himself. A part of the card was gone, and some of the pencilled words it had originally contained were blurred and vague. What was left of it read:
“Take this to Tom Barnes and get ten dollars reward. Tom: I am a prisoner—two bad men—about thirty miles—in the—at—in lion’s cage—Harry Ashley.”
Tom scanned the card again and again. Ben noted his serious studious manner. Finally Tom turned to their visitor.
“Bill,” he said, “you get the reward. I haven’t the money with me, but any time to-morrow you call here and get it.”
“Oh, I don’t want any reward,” declared Bill.
“You get it just the same,” insisted Tom firmly.
“I’ll have to be getting along,” said Bill. “I’m watching that launch for Aldrich to put in an appearance. It’s eleven dollars and seventy-five cents or a licking for him, I can tell you.”
“I think I know where those balloons came from,” said Tom to Ben, when Bill had departed.