"Eesa da hurt-a bad. Oh, oh!" he groaned, "get-a da bot', da bot'-a, child; get-a da bot'." "Poor man! Shall I run for the doctor?" "No, no, no, note-a da dock! Help-a me get-a da bot' in-a da pock! Quick-a, deeze-a side. Put in-a da hand. Take eem out--oh, oh!" Perceiving that he meant her to take something out of his pocket, on the right side of his coat, and not understanding the significance of the word "bot," she drew near to thrust in her hand. That instant Jack's left arm encircled her form and his right hand clapped the saturated handkerchief over her mouth and nostrils and held her to him. She struggled in his arms to free herself, but without avail. As a feeling of stupor stole over her senses, Jack, still on his knees, watched her with the keenest of eyes, and muttered soothingly, "Eesa nice-a da girl. Nice-a da smell lak-a da dreamy Italy." Some rascals would have made short work of the matter, but Jack was by nature very tender and considerate of children, which accounted for his slow application of the powerful drug. It soon had her under its influence, and when she became limp and nerveless he laid her on the grass. Again he saturated the handkerchief and held it to her nostrils, and with distended, tragic eyes watched her doze into unconsciousness. Feeling satisfied that she would not speedily recover, he let the handkerchief lie loose on her nostrils and mouth, then he arose to his feet and with the stealthy, catlike tread of an Indian, skulked from shadow to shadow until he had made a complete circuit of the spot. Having assured himself that no one was in the vicinity, he swiftly turned and again fell on his knees beside the child. He looked intently in her face and noted the sweet expression of childish innocence and trust in the repose. "She sleeps, beautiful child! As sweetly innocent and confiding as God ever inspired with the breath of life." Then from under his coat, where a hump appeared in the back, he drew out a grey woolen cloth about four feet square and folded it about the child, gathered her in his arms and arose to his feet. "Mine, mine, though no harm shall come to you, pretty one! Twenty thousand dollars shall be the price of your liberty." And, keeping in the shadows and away from the lights as much as possible, he wended his way toward the river and soon became obscured in the distant gloom.