“Do you think there’s any danger?” asked Peter, who was beginning to wish he had never had anything to do with the gang. “You can never tell what kids are going to do. Wait, I’ll try to tell him a story. I used to be quite a hand at it when—when my youngster was alive,” and Noddy gulped down a hard lump in his throat. Bad as he was, he still had a tender spot in his heart for his dead child. “Come on, Jimmy,” the blue-handed man said to the captive. “I’m going to tell you about a bear.” “Can’t you tell me about a giant?” demanded the lad. “Well, I guess so,” and then Noddy related a tale about a big giant who used to keep his captives in a terrible castle. “You’re a sort of giant, ain’t you?” asked Jimmy of Noddy. “No. What makes you ask that?” “Because you’ve got hands like Blue Beard, and you keep me here, and won’t let me go home.” “No, I’m not quite as bad as that,” said Noddy, “but I’m bad enough, the land knows. I’d let you go home if I could. Maybe we can, to-morrow or next day. I wish Larry would give in to the gang, or else come here and take the kid,” the blue-handed man muttered, in a low tone. It required several stories before Jimmy could be comforted, and made to forget his troubles. He fell asleep under the influence of a fine big Chinese drum that the blue-handed man promised would be given him the next day. “Well, I’m glad he’s in slumberland,” remarked Noddy, as he covered Jimmy up in bed. “I couldn’t stand this very long.” That evening several members of the gang came in, and Noddy laid the case before them. “It’s all right for you fellows,” he said, “but you don’t have to stay here all day and amuse the kid, and keep him from crying for his mother. If I only had to go out and do things the way you do I wouldn’t mind it.” “Well, you’ll have to stay shut up for a while longer, on account of your hands,” remarked Perkins. “It can’t be very long now. I wouldn’t wonder but there’d be a personal in to-morrow morning’s papers, saying Larry and his mother had agreed to sign the deed. That will end the whole matter.” “Well, I only hope it does,” growled Noddy. “It’s the last trick of this kind you get me into.” “Brace up!” exclaimed Perkins. “You’re a little down in the mouth now. When you get your share out of the deal you’ll be satisfied. I guess the game is almost up now. There should have been a personal in before this.” But fate had so ordered that the one Larry and Mr. Newton inserted was not seen. “Suppose you don’t hear from Larry?” asked Noddy. “If we don’t inside of three days,” answered Perkins, “we’re going ahead on a brand-new plan.” “What is it?” “We’ll simply condemn the land, and then we’ll get it for almost nothing. Only that process is a little slow, and we’re in a hurry. Snyder and Beacham had a talk on the matter somewhere to-day, I understand, and decided the thing could be kept secret no longer. The news will be out in a week at the most, so whatever is done must be done quickly.”