Sam and Bill are like a typical comical couple who play off of each other because they are opposites in intellect, yet similar in stupidity. Some of the first adjectives that would describe these two men are gullible, inexperienced with children, and easily manipulated. They think that just because they are adults that a child would be easy to control. On the contrary, Johnny Dorset's first interaction with them is to throw a piece of brick at Bill's eye and to physically fight against them as they cart him off. Eventually, Bill becomes Johnny's babysitter and punching-bag while Sam carries out the business end of the ransom. One of the best descriptions of Bill actually comes from Sam on the morning after their first night with Johnny:
"Just at daybreak, I was awakened by a series of awful screams from Bill. They weren't yells, . . . such as you'd expect from a manly set of vocal organs--they were simply indecent, terrifying, humiliating screams, such as women emit when they see ghosts or caterpillars."
The passage says that Sam screams like a woman, which is hilarious! Again, here we have a grown man afraid of a little boy who ironically has the upper-hand in this kidnapping situation. While Bill pleads with Sam to dump the kid and the idea of the ransom, Sam is presumptuous in thinking that it can still work; but he really doesn't know who he's dealing with as far as the kid and the father are concerned. In the end, the kidnappers are played as the foolhardy ones as they pay the father to take the boy off of their hands! They won't be so enthusiastic to get into the kidnapping business ever again.
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