"Tell the colonel all about it."

"I will. And are you sure your father--"

"Dad's with me in this--with me and you! He'd have come to see you
himself to-day, but I said I wanted to see you first. He'll be along
soon. So you see, Jimmie boy, things aren't so bad as they seem,
though I hate it that you should be in this horrible place."

"It is horrible, Amy. But now that I know you--you haven't given me
up--"

"Don't _dare_ say such a thing, Jimmie boy!" and the girl's eyes
sparkled with a new light.

"Well, it won't be so horrible from now on. And is the colonel really
going to take my case?"

"Really and truly! I told him he _had_ to if he wanted to fish in
dad's trout stream," and she laughed--a strange sound in that gloomy
place.

Then they talked about many things. James Darcy had read much of
Colonel Ashley's achievements in detective work, and the very magic of
the name was enough to give a prisoner courage.

Soon it was time to leave, after Kenneth had conferred briefly with his
client. The prisoner went back to his little cell with a happier look
on his face than when he had left it.