"It ain't safe, boy. They's jest one way you c'n make it safe. Come in along of us an' do what we do. You wouldn't be a reform school runaway if you hadn't never been up to nothink. This'll be easy for you."
It was a temptation that would have tried boys of firmer principle than Glen. This man might do something awful to him if he resisted. He was on the point of yielding—and then came the vision of Matt Burton, white and unconscious, and the recollection of his agony as he thought that he had murdered Matt and lost his first chance to walk straight. Was it better to choose one evil than another?
"Do what you want to," he said bravely, to the big man. "I'm going to be a true scout, if you—if you kill me for it."
There was murder in the man's appearance, evidently enough, for J. Jervice eagerly protested. "You don't want to do no murder, now. Murder means hangin'!"
"Shut up!" commanded the leader. "Look what ye got us into. What can we do with him?"
"We'll have to hide him till we git away," said Jervice.
"Brave Man!" sneered the leader. "Get me a little rope an' I'll do him up scientific." Page 131
"No good trying to hide him round here. Them scouts will be missin' him when he don't get to his meals an' swarm all over here. You run over to the city—it's only twenty-four miles. You ought to be back easy by night. You know who to leave him with."