"Why?"
"It looked that way once. It seemed that you had saved us from being hanged, but that you intended to finish us here."
"Ef that war my scheme, why did I take ther trouble ter save ye at all?"
"It looked as if you did so to please Miss Kenyon. You had saved us, and then, if the men disposed of us in the regular manner, you would not be to blame."
Muriel shook back his long, black hair, and his manner showed that he was angry. He did not feel at all pleased to know his sincerity had been doubted.
"Wal," he said, slowly, "ef it hadn't been fer me you-uns would be gone coons now."
"Begobs! we know thot!" exclaimed Barney.
"You-uns know I saved ye, but ye don't know how I done it."
There was something of bitterness and reproach in the voice of the youthful moonshiner. He continued:
"I done that fer you I never done before fer no man. I wouldn't a done it fer myself!"