"'And what are you thinking about while all those people are making such a fuss?'
"'I am wondering how people weigh the planets,' he answered.
"'Come along with me,' said I, 'and I will show you just what you want to know.'
"Then taking him by the hand I led him across the room to the seat I had just left; but though the sages who were present saw him cross the room, not one of them saw me, who was leading him by the hand.
"I took out a sheet of paper and began to draw figures and work formulæ, the boy meanwhile standing by the side of my chair and saying not a word. When I had finished I said:
"'Do you understand?'
"'Perfectly,' he answered; 'I see it at last. Thank you ever so much.'
"'Now Billy,' I said, 'there is something you can do for me. I want you to stand on that chair and tell the people that the person they are making the fuss about is named Panhandle, that you know him, that he is real and quite harmless, and that he hopes they won't shoot at him any more, because it hurts. Say you are quite certain he is real, because he has just told you how the planets are weighed.'
"'Dear Pan,' said Billy, 'don't ask me to do that. I never tell people about you; they would only laugh at me if I did. Let us keep just as we are, old fellow, and not tell our secret to anybody.'
"Unprepared for a style of address so familiar, 'Why, Billy,' I said, 'I have never seen you before.'