“Me, too!” came a chorus of voices, and Vinegar Atts, Prince Total, Pap Curtain, Hitch Diamond, and a number of others who had been accused of various crimes and misdemeanors by Tella Tandy followed Skeeter to the stage. They carefully examined the cot and rope. Then Deo Diddle stretched himself out upon it, lying flat upon the mattress with his feet together and his hands down at his sides. Vinegar Atts and Hitch Diamond passed the rope around and around him, crossing and crisscrossing it over his feet and body and neck until he was swathed like a mummy and apparently as helpless. Then the committee climbed off the platform and left Deo to free himself in full view of the crowd. Deo entertained the crowd for a minute by a mighty struggling and tugging and jerking and grunting, but all the while Deo’s right hand was resting upon a lateral bar under the cot which held the mattress taut. At the proper time Deo simply slipped this bar out of its fastening on one side of the cot; the mattress sagged down in the middle like a hammock, with the many coils of rope across Deo, but hardly touching his body. Then Deo climbed from under the rope as easily as a pig slips through a gap in the fence and was free! The shout of applause which greeted this performance almost lifted the roof, and amid the noise Deo and Tella quickly removed the cot so that the committee could not examine it again. “Us will hab a entirely diffunt show tomorrer night, my frien’s,” Deo announced when the noise and excitement subsided. “I is knowed all over de worl’ an’ in Yurope as de Monarch of de Manacle. I’s de only real nigger Handcuff King in dis country. Tomorrer night I’s gwine hab eve’y kind of handcuff whut is used by de sheriffs an’ policemens of dis country an’ furin parts, and I’ll let you handcuff me up any way you please, an’ ef I don’t git loose in five minutes I’ll gib you twenty-five dollars reward. Fetch all de handcuffs you is got aroun’ de house an’ watch de Handcuff King pufform!” “I’ll git dat reward-bill!” Skeeter Butts squealed. “All right, pardner!” Deo laughed. “Do yo’ durndest! Good-night!” While the people were leaving Skeeter Butts climbed back upon the stage and confronted Tella Tandy. “Is you married to dis Deo Diddle, Tella?” he asked earnestly. “Suttinly,” Tella laughed. “Ain’t Deo a wonder?” “Whut you mean by makin’ a fool outen me?” Skeeter demanded. “Don’t pick no fuss wid me, Skeeter!” Tella said. “Dis is a free country an’ you made love at me wid yo’ own mind. I couldn’t he’p it ef you handed me yo’ heart tied up in a paper-sack.” Skeeter glared at her a moment, then turned and started away. “I don’t bear you no grudge fer dem lovin’ words, Skeeter,” Tella snickered. * * * * * Skeeter Butts spent a large part of the night in deep meditation. The next morning all his friends crowded into the Hen-Scratch to discuss the show. Tella Tandy’s revelations interested them most.