"He looks it," answered General Merchandise. "How did it happen?"
"Billy Bounce did it," said Honey Girl.
"You did? Then you are our friend. Ho, guards, unseize him," and the General warmly shook Billy's hand, while the soldiers saluted and went back to their company.
At that moment a door opened and in walked the sentry closely guarding Nickel Plate, Bumbus, Drone and Glucose.
"What does this mean?" asked General Merchandise.
"Four tramps who called at the kitchen door for a crumb of water and a drop of bread. We arrested them as suspicious characters," said the head sentry.
And tramps and suspicious-looking characters they undoubtedly were.
Nickel Plate, with all the starch gone out of his face, as rusty as an old stove-pipe, his monocle broken, and his patent leather boots bursted and run down at the heels.
Bumbus, with his moustache out of curl, his hat dented and rimless, his trousers baggy at the knees, and his eyes bleary and bloodshot from lack of sleep.
Drone—well, it is hard to say what Drone did look like, excepting that he carried a tomato can over one shoulder, and his clothes showed signs of many nights spent on park benches.