Page:The ransom of Red Chief and other O. Henry stories for boys.djvu/39

Rh near the lantern and read it to Bill. It was written with a pen in a crabbed hand, and the sum and substance of it was this:

"Great pirates of Penzance!" says I; "of all the impudent"

But I glanced at Bill, and hesitated. He had the most appealing look in his eyes I ever saw on the face of a dumb or a talking brute.

"Sam," says he, "what's two hundred and fifty dollars, after all? We've got the money. One more night of this kid will send me to a bed in Bedlam. Besides being a thorough gentleman, I think Mr. Dorset is a spend-