“Where?”
“Anywhere.”
“But the boat—Welch——”
“The boat is all right. Take a walk along the shore—lively. Don’t turn round till you are out of range of this rifle, for you may encounter a bullet if you do. That’s all. Go on!”
“But—but——”
“There are no buts about it. Go this instant, or Hodge will salt you. Get a move on!”
The man turned about and walked away.
“Now,” said Frank, speaking to Welch, “I advise you to have nothing more to do with that chap. He’ll get you into some bad scrape if you do. You are lucky to get off this time so easily. I have no particular grudge against you, even though you did want to thump me for dancing with a certain young lady at Camp Benson yesterday. But don’t monkey round me in the future, for I don’t always overlook things this way. That’s all.”
Hodge had pushed the canoe into the water, and now they entered it and pushed off from the shore.
“It’s lucky I brought this rifle along,” said Hodge, as he placed it in the bow and picked up his paddle.