“Avaunt, foul creatures!” shrieked the freshman furiously. “I’ll not go with ye! Have you not done enough? You have stained my hands with human blood! You have made me do murder—murder! murder! murder!”
The blood ran cold in their bodies as they heard him scream forth the words. Some of them retreated precipitately.
“Come out, fellows—come out!” they said. “He’ll do you damage! Close the door!”
“Out on you!” snarled Ready, leaping to his feet. “Leave me—leave me with my only friend!”
Then he put an arm about the skeleton, as if embracing the grisly thing!
Frank passed the lamp to Hodge.
“Hold it,” he said.
“What are you going to do?” asked Bart breathlessly.
“I’m going to attempt to talk to the poor fellow. I may be able to straighten him out now.”
“Better let him alone. There’s no telling what he may do.”