But try to palm off one lie upon me, and I'll riddle you through.

To begin with: what brought you locked up in the mill ?" It was a wicked tale of a wicked young jail-bird, as Mr.Pike (probably the worse jail-bird by far of the two) phrased it.

Master Ripper had purposely caused himself to be locked in the mill, his object being to supply himself with as much corn as he could carry about him for the benefit of his rabbits and pigeons and other live stock at home.

He had done it twice before, he avowed, in dread of the pistol, and had got away safe through the square hole in the passage at the foot of the back staircase, whence he had dropped to the ground.

To his consternation on this occasion, however, he had found the door at the foot of the stairs bolted, as it never had been before, and he could not get to the passage.
So he was a prisoner all the afternoon, and had exercised his legs between the store-room and kitchen, both of which were open to him.
If ever a man showed virtuous indignation at a sinner's confession, Mr.
Pike showed it now.