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"I shan't do nothing of the sort. I don't know you."
"You don't! I'll tell you who I am, if you'll give me your hand."
"I don't want to know who you are."
"Come, give us your hand, man."
"What do you mean? Can't I come into the house without being interrupted?"
"Not into this house while I am here. I'm the constable of Holler, and always on the look out for fellows like you."
"I don't care if you're the constable of fifty Hollers, I've nothing to be either ashamed or afeared on."
"I dare say not; but it's no use you know! I saw it: I know I saw it! Will you let me see your right hand?"
"No."
"But I will see it!"
"Will you?" said Judkins, whose blood began to boil.
"Will I? Yes!—now then?" he added, seizing the right arm of Judkins, who on the instant knocked him down, and would have escaped, but that the landlord, who was coming into the room at the time, stopped him.
"What's the meaning of all this?" inquired the landlord.
"He's my prisoner!" cried the constable, rising; "I'll run all risks; he's my prisoner!"
"What for?" demanded the landlord.
"Why look at his right hand! Just look at it!"
"What do you mean? You are always kicking up some row—what do you mean?"
"Only look at that man's right hand: that's all?"
"Let me look at it?" said the landlord, addressing Judkins calmly. "You shall not be ill treated here."
Judkins drew his hand from his pocket, and with it a portion of the chain, of course.
"There it is!" cried the constable in triumph. "There you are! I knew I saw it! and here's the other ruffle. Why, you're an escaped convict!—that's what you are."
"I'm nothing of the sort!" exclaimed Judkins, indignantly.
"It's no use, you know. Not a bit of it. Don't put yourself in a passion. Come along."
"But where—where!" exclaimed Judkins, in a dreadful state of excitement.
"Oh, I'll find a lodging for you. Now then. Here, Johnson!—here, Smith!—come and assist me, will you?"
Both Johnson and Smith at once went to his assistance, and, in spite of the expostulations of Judkins—in spite of his strong declarations of innocence—in spite of his struggles, entreaties, and threats, they hurried him off to the cage.