“If you ask me that way,” he said, “ten thousand fiends cannot force me to touch the stuff!”
There was a groan from the crowd.
“The old duffer caves!” sneered one man. “He hasn’t any backbone.”
“Oh, say!” sibilated Hodge, in Merry’s ear; “get him out of here in a hurry! I can’t stand much of this! I feel like thumping a few of these ruffians.”
“Steady!” cautioned Frank. “We do not want to get into a barroom brawl if we can avoid it.”
“They’re a purty darn tough-lookin’ craowd,” muttered Ephraim.
“Why wouldn’t it be a purty good thing fer ther young chaps all ter take a drink?” suggested somebody.
“That’s right!” cried the leader. “I’ll stand for them all, and the actor shall drink with them.”
“Don’t let them git out, gents, till they’ve taken their bitters.”
The rough men hemmed them in.