"I do not," the jailer replied, doggedly.
"Well, I tell you so now, and that I shall hold you responsible as an officer of the law for his safety," Moth answered, with savage determination.
"Well, I say I'll not turn a hand to help you. The statutes of Illinois are very liberal about boys being at large, and I am not going to interfere with this one," the jailer answered.
"You will not dare to refuse to perform the duties of your office," Moth answered, desperately.
"It is not my duty to detain him," the jailer answered.
"I'll never go with him," I spoke up, encouraged by the jailer's manner and speech. "He has no more claim on me than that robber."
"Yes, I have; and you will go with me, just as the robber did," Moth replied. "I will make you go."
"You can't; and if you were not an old man I'd wallop the life out of you right here and now," I cried, my anger getting the better of me again.
To this Moth made no response, but stood still, eying me for a while in silence; then turning to the jailer, he said:
"To-morrow I will bring an officer to take this lad, my client's ward according to the judge's ruling, and you dare not let him go meanwhile. He is a runaway, and I call on you to hold him."