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the police van comes in with a new crop of delinquents, I just grab a hold of the underside and let the coppers carry me to freedom. Nice touch of irony, ain’t it?”
    I wished him luck, and half wished that I had the strength and daring to join him. But even if I managed to break out, where would I go? It would be an easy matter for the authorities to find me and bring me back.
    As it turned out, they brought Ezra back, too. Long after I was in bed, I was wakened by Brother Bunsen. “I thought thee would want to know, Brother Goodspeed. Thy friend has had an accident.”
    â€œEzra? What’s happened?”
    â€œWell, as best I can gather, he tried to escape by hanging underneath the police van. It must have hit a bump and shook him loose. One of the wheels ran over his arm.”
    â€œOh, Lud. Is it broken?”
    â€œWorse than that. They’ve brought in a doctor. I expect he’ll have to take it off.”
    I gasped. “ Amputate it, you mean? Can I go see him?”
    Brother Bunsen shook his head. “’Twon’t be a pretty sight.” This was before ether and chloroform, you know; the only thing a surgeon could do to make his patients suffer less was to cut as quickly as possible. “Perhaps thee may look in on him in a few days, when he’s recovered some.”
    I never got the chance to visit my unfortunate friend. The next afternoon, as I was winding bobbins with my hands and playing chess games in my head, one of the keepers appeared and escorted me to the superintendent’s office. “What have I done?” I asked. “Am I to be punished?”
    â€œI don’t know,” said the man. “I was only told to fetch thee.”
    Though I had never before seen the superintendent, I was well acquainted with the man who sat across the desk from him. “Hello, Rufus.”
    â€œMonsieur Mulhouse! How did you find me?”
    â€œIt was not easy. When you did not keep our appointment, I consulted the gentlemen at the Chess Club. None of them knew where you lived. But nothing stays secret for long in a city of this size.” Before all the immigration, you know, Philadelphia’s population was less than half what it is now. “One just has to ask the right people. It seems that the keeper at the debtors’ prison is the brother-in-law of the constable who arrested you.”
    â€œSo,” said the superintendent, “thee will take responsibility for the child, Brother Schlumberger?”
    â€œI shall watch over him like a brother, Brother. I promise you that he will sin no more.”
    And just like that, I was free to go. As we rode in a hired cab back to the city, I said, “Why did he call you . . . whatever he called you?”
    â€œSchlumberger? Because that is my name.”
    â€œYou said it was Mulhouse.”
    â€œ Mais non; I said they call me that, after the town in France where I was born.” His throat was clearly irritated again, as it had been when we played chess. He retrieved his packet of lozenges and took one.
    After a time, I said, “I didn’t steal that watch, you know.”
    â€œI never imagined you did. What became of the money you won from me?”
    â€œThey took it. I was going to buy bedding and food for my father.”
    â€œNo matter. You’ll have a chance to earn more.”
    â€œYou mean I may still have the job?”
    â€œIf it were up to me, you would. But we shall have to convince Maelzel.”
    â€œWhat will I be expected to do?”
    The Frenchman gave me a wry smile. “Why, to play chess, of course.”
    That’s all he would tell me; for the rest of the ride, I was left to wonder what lay in store for me. I knew that top players, including the great Philidor, were sometimes paid by chess clubs to be a sort of resident chess master. But I couldn’t imagine any club hiring a scrawny and socially inept twelve-year-old. Though I had