Did he dream it, or was it true, that when Nick came back he seemed at first strangely agitated?
All at once Barney exclaimed aloud,—
"This hyar air a powerful cur'ous thing 'bout'n that thar piece what war tored out'n my coat!"
"What's curious about it?" asked Stebbins quickly.
Jim Dow took his pipe from his mouth, and looked sharply at the boy.
Barney struggled for a moment with a strong temptation. Then a nobler impulse asserted itself. He would not even attempt to shield himself behind the friend who had done him so grievous an injury.
He knew nothing positively; he must not put his suspicions and his vague, half-sleeping impressions into words, and thus possibly criminate Nick.
He himself felt certain now how the matter really stood,—that Nick had no connection whatever with the robbery, but having accidentally stumbled upon the stolen goods, he had become panic-stricken, had lied about it, and finally had saved himself at the expense of an innocent friend.
Still, Barney had no proof of this, and he felt he would rather suffer unjustly himself than unjustly throw blame on another.
"Nothin', nothin'," he said absently. "I war jes' a-studyin' 'bout'n it all."