“I do.”
“But you ain’t got any right to say so.”
“All the same, I do. If you report it, I’ll——”
Frank hesitated, and Old Slugs quickly asked:
“What’ll you do?”
“I’ll give you another thrashing, and it will be worse than the first!” flared Frank, looking as if he were ready to start in on the job at that moment. “I’ll fix you so you will not work for more than one day!”
It was plain enough that Frank meant exactly what he said. Old Slugs could not doubt it.
“Why,” said Hall, “I’m your friend now. I came here and stood by you in this matter against Hicks.”
“You are not my friend if you say a word about it to the old man. You will be my enemy.”
“You must be foolish! If Hicks stays here, he’ll get at you ag’in, and he may do me, too. The only safe thing for us now is to report him, and then he’ll be fired.”