“You appear to be the only real sucker in the bunch. By God! Those coppers are fierce. They’ll leave you here till you rot. I’ve always said a copper is a copper till you cut his head off.”

He got a tin cup and scraped it across the bars of the door. The trusty bounced in. “Go down and get the desk sergeant.”

I never saw a prisoner get quicker action. The sergeant came at once.

“It’s a rotten shame to keep this kid locked up, Sam. Did you hear his story? Go down and get Hayes and tell him to let him go home. Send a messenger to his boss. I’ve got plenty of money down there; charge it to me.”