Page:Ned Wilding's Disappearance.djvu/232



followed Cassidy through the streets, the lodging-house keeper leading the way, and seemingly in no fear that the boy would give him the slip. As a matter of fact, Ned did not intend to try to escape. He was, in a sense, a voluntary prisoner now, as he knew, if he tried to run away again, Cassidy would probably take after him and raise such a disturbance that the police would interfere. And Ned had his own reasons for not wanting anything to do with the bluecoats.

Afterwards he thought how senseless, in a measure, his fears were, but at the time they loomed up large before him, and caused him to do things of which, otherwise, he would not have dreamed.

"Hurry up!" exclaimed Cassidy when he and Ned had been walking about half an hour. "I haven't got all day."

"What do you intend to do?" asked Ned.

"I intend to make you work out the value of the money you stole from me. One of my porters