Colonel Grand eyed him shrewdly. He could see that something had shaken the man tremendously. The Colonel believed in strong measures. He knew precisely how to meet this man's impulses. In his time he had seen hundreds of desperate men. "Tom, you're drunk," he announced coldly. "When you are sober you'll kick yourself for the thought. Go and lie down awhile. I won't talk with you while you're in this condition." "Drunk?" gasped Braddock. "Bob, so help me, I'm not drunk," he almost whined. "Then you must be crazy," observed the other, walking away. David saw an opportunity to escape the company of both. He was edging away when Braddock stopped him. "Say, you! I want to give you a bit of advice. If you go to putting high-sounding notions in Christie's head, I'll break every bone in your body. If you don't like the way she dresses in the ring, why do you look at her all the time?" Further utterance on his part, or any effort David may have contemplated in resenting his attack, was prevented by the appearance of Ruby Noakes, who came running up from the main-top, waving a newspaper in her hand and crying out in the wildest excitement: "David! David! Have you heard? Have you seen it? We've been looking for you everywhere. Here! Look! It's to-day's _Enquirer!_ See what's happened! Your uncle!" The vanguard of the "parade" had reached the lot. Cages came creaking through the wide aperture at the end, and were wheeled skillfully into place by expert drivers. Gayly dressed horsemen trotted through. Every one was shouting to David. His ears rang, everything went black before him. He could not seize the paper that Ruby held before his eyes, nor were his eyes quite capable of reading the sharp, characteristic headlines that stood out before him in the first column of the _Enquirer._ The letters danced impishly, as if to confuse him further. Jenison--Jenison--Jenison everywhere! That was all he could see, all he could grasp. Dick Cronk's prophecy had been fulfilled. His uncle Frank Jenison was dead. Some one was shouting it in his ear. There had been a deathbed confession. He was no longer a fugitive! He was exonerated--he was free! He laughed hysterically and pressed the damp sheet to his lips. Ruby Noakes threw her arms about his neck and kissed him for joy. The voices of the half hundred people crowding about him buzzed in his ears. They were shaking hands with him, slapping his back and laughing with him, although he did not know that he laughed. Above the hum of eager voices rose one that was discordant, hoarse with passion. "Clear out! Skip, I say! All of you!" Thomas Braddock was shoving the glad performers about as if they were tenpins, raging like the lions which roared their surprise at this unseemly hubbub in front of the cages. From sheer excitement, David's head was reeling; his senses began to slip away; his legs were tottering.