Jemmy is the whipping boy for a prince. Due to his impudent behavior, Prince Horace is regularly referred to as Prince Brat. One night, out of boredom, Prince Horace decides to run away. Jemmy tries to talk Prince Horace out of his plan, but the prince, in keeping with his Prince Brat moniker, won’t be dissuaded. In fact, he forces Jemmy to accompany him as a servant.

Soon, Jemmy and the prince are kidnapped by two highwaymen. These villainous robbers think Jemmy and the prince are tricking them. They assume that Jemmy’s ability to read and write, and the prince’s inability to read and write, means that Jemmy is the real prince and the real prince is the orphaned whipping boy.

In chapter 8, with Jemmy letting the highwaymen believe that he is the actual prince, he composes the ransom note in question. At first, Cutwater and Hold-Your-Nose Billy come up with the price in the ransom note. They think the price should be “the prince’s weight in gold bangers.”

Jemmy, embracing the haughty attitude of the prince, acts insulted. He declares that a prince is worth way more than his weight in gold. Jemmy suggests a “wagonload” of gold and jewels is a fairer price. The criminals enthusiastically take Jemmy’s advice and ask for a “wagonload” of jewels and gold in the ransom note.