This suggestion was immediately acted upon, and the weary manager of the fair penned the following words:
I am ready to enter security to any amount for the appearance at court of Edward Hargreaves, and if you should not consider my bond sufficient, I am empowered to say that John Reaves, of Waterville, will add his name, therefore there can be no good reason for committing him to jail, since we are both responsible for the prisoner until the bond can be executed.
A. Jones
Having received this the constable departed with the prisoner and his friends, and once on the outside he said, confidently:
"The matter is settled, no matter how much old Nathan may rave. Both Mr. Reaves an' the deacon have got the 'Squire by the nose, and he must dance to their fiddlin'."
That this assertion was correct Teddy realized a few moments later when he was ushered into the 'Squire's dining-room, and the latter, without paying the slightest attention to the prisoner, said to the officer:
"I have just heard that you served the warrant I issued, and then took the boy to Deacon Jones' house. Is that correct?"
"Straight as a string, 'Squire. Lawyer Harvey told him if anything happened to go there, an' I thought he had a right to look up bail before being lugged off to jail. Here's what the deacon's got to say about it."
The 'Squire took the paper which the officer held out, and after reading it, said benignly:
"You were quite correct in doing what you did, Mr. Constable. This is quite sufficient guarantee that he will be produced when wanted, and you may let him go. Give me the papers, and I will indorse them."
After this formality had been gone through with the constable said to Mr. Sweet: