"I have," he exclaimed after a pause; but the tone in which this was uttered was not one calculated to carry conviction with it.
"You darn'd skunk!" shouted the farmer in wrathful tones; "so you refuse to reply, do you?"
"I refuse to give you any other reply than what you have got."
"Then take this from me," said Ranger, in somewhat softer tones, but yet with a display of a considerable amount of excitement, "the first thing, to-morrow morning, you pack, and be off from here as quick as you can, for I will not allow such a miserable sneaking hound to remain here in my employ a day longer than I can help."
"You mean it?" said Charles.
"Mean it? I should think I do! Don't you doubt it for one minute," he added, as he brought his fist down with an impressive thump on the table, making the jugs standing on it to quiver.
"This is rather sudden, farmer," broke in John. "What's he going to do when he leaves here?"
"I don't know, and I was going to add, I don't care, but I won't say that; still, that is for him to decide."
"You have used some strong language to my brother, Mr. Ranger; but what it's all about I am quite in ignorance of."
"That I quite believe, John," added Ranger in quieter tones; "that's why I've not included you in anything I've said."