“We’ll put him in that empty room at the corner of the house, and take turns watching him through the night,” said Ted.

Until bedtime Farley sat in the living room with the rest of them, and they were unusually guarded in their conversation.

When it came time to retire Farley was conducted to the room which was to be his prison, and it fell to Carl to take the first watch, and to call Ben at one o’clock.

In the room there was a lounge and a pair of blankets for Farley, a table and a lamp, and a chair for the watch.

“Whatever you do, don’t go to sleep, Carl,” said Ted.  “The reason I’m putting you on the first watch is because you’re such a sleepyhead.”

“Don’d vorry aboud me,” said Carl, with a yawn.  “I pet you I vas der sleepinglessness feller in der whole bunch.  If he gets avay on my vatch it vill not be pecause I don’d sleep.”

“I guess you mean all right, but I swear I can’t understand you.  Only keep awake.”

“Oh, yah; I avake keeping all der time.”

Carl sat in the chair watching his prisoner, and soon saw Farley’s chest heaving regularly and heard his deep breathing as he slept.  Then things seemed to waver and fade away.

Carl started up at hearing some one beating on the door, and sat rubbing his eyes.  It was broad daylight.

“All right, I’ll get up pooty soon yet.  Is preakfast retty?”

“Here, open the door.  This is Ted.”

“Vait a minute.”

Carl staggered sleepily to the door and unlocked it.

“Where is your prisoner?” asked Ted, stalking into the room, and looking at the open window.

“My vat?  Ach, Gott in himmel, vat haf I dided?  I am schoost coming avake.  He iss gone!  I haf slept on vatch.  I am foreffer disgraced.  Kill me, Ted!  I haf no appetite to live any more alretty,” cried Carl.

Ted had been angry at discovering the escape of Farley, for he had conceived a plan to use him against Creviss.  He had risen early, and when he found that all the boys were in bed except Carl, he immediately suspected the truth.

But Carl’s despairing manner turned him from anger.

“Never mind, Carl,” he said.  “It was my fault for putting you on watch.  You were not cut out for a watchman.  Or, perhaps, you were, according to the funny papers, but not of prisoners.”

During breakfast Carl was compelled to endure the jokes of the boys at his failure to guard the prisoner, which he did with a lugubrious countenance; then, at a signal from Ted, the subject was dropped.

About ten o’clock Billy Sudden rode up to the ranch house.

There was something in his manner that betokened news of importance, and he strode unbidden into the living room, where Ted was sitting at his desk.

“Where’s the kid?” he asked abruptly.

“Who, Farley?” asked Ted, looking up from his work.

“Yes.”