“Friend of mine. Bill Berry, fat as a cherry,” replied Pete, unable to resist the temptation to make a rhyme.
“Look here—,” started in Bob, fiercely, “I’ll have to—”
“That explains it,” broke in Jerry.
“Explains what?” asked Bob.
“Explains who had a hand in this,” went on Jerry. “You know Bill, who isn’t any too good a character about town, and Jack Pender have been quite thick of late. Two or three times I’ve caught them whispering together down to the post office.”
“Well, what of it?”
“This much. You know what a sneak Jack is, always toadying around that bully Nixon. Well, Nixon threatened to get even with all of us on account of that little spill he and Ned had. This is how he’s done it. He’s got Jack to do his dirty work, and Jack has hired Bill to doctor our wheels.
“While we were away Bill comes over here, bribes poor old Pete with the offer of something to smoke to leave him in charge for a little while, and does the trick. Didn’t Bill give you something to smoke?” demanded Jerry.
“He give me the money, now ain’t that funny,” sang Pete, without a thought of the consequences of his act.