"But you will get no more money out of me, I promise you." The result was that the stubborn American was placed under arrest.
Leaving the girls at the museum in charge of Ferralti, who had made no attempt to interfere in the dispute but implored Uncle John to pay and avoid trouble, the angry prisoner was placed in the same cab he had arrived in and, with the officer seated beside him, was publicly driven to the office of the magistrate.
This official understood no English, but he glowered and frowned fiercely when the American was brought before him.

The guarde and the cabman stood with bared bowed heads and in low tones preferred the charge against the prisoner; but Uncle John swaggered up to the desk and pounded his clinched fist upon it while he roared a defiance of Italian injustice and threatened to "bring over a few war-ships and blow Naples into kingdom come!" The magistrate was startled, and ordered the prisoner searched for concealed weapons.

Uncle John doubled his fists and dared the guarde to touch him.
Then the cabman was dispatched for someone who could speak English, and when an interpreter arrived the American told him to send for the United States consul and also to inform the magistrate that nothing but war between America and Italy could wipe out the affront that had been thrust upon him.
The magistrate was disturbed, and preferred not to send for the consul.
He offered to release Uncle John if he would give the cabman a good lira in exchange for the bad one.

The official fee would be five lira--or say three lira--or even two.

Uncle John flatly refused to pay anything to anybody.