“Yes—yes—Mr. Hopkins—I’m here agin,” admitted Joffy with an uneasy grin. “I—I didn’t mean to do any damage. I—I jest wanted to see if that there thing-a-ma-bob would whirl around.”
“Well, it did, all right, and you might have broken it. If you had we would arrest you for malicious mischief.”
“Arrest me! Why, I ain’t done nothin’!”
“Yes, you have!” exclaimed Jerry. “You’re taking money from Noddy Nixon to come here and annoy us. Now, don’t deny it!” he cried as he saw that the old man was about to protest. “Andy Rush saw you. We know, now, why you sneak in here. You want to keep away if you don’t want to get arrested.”
“All right—all right, Mr. Hopkins. I’ll go if you don’t want me around.”
“Of course we don’t want you.”
“But I didn’t mean no harm. I jest—I jest wanted to see if that there big thing like a paddle would go around.”
“Well, you saw; now vamoose.”
“Do you think he’ll keep away?” asked Ned, as the old man crawled under the tent and went outside.