“It is not so, is it, Jack? Say that it is not so.”
“No, it is not so. I signaled to Brooke and told him to warn the bank officials that there was to be another attempt to rob it.”
“You knew this, Jack?” asked Dick.
“Yes, I knew it,” quietly.
“Of course he knew it,” said Herring, with a disagreeable laugh. “Why wouldn’t he know it when he had a meeting with the chief robber yesterday afternoon and told him that he would keep him and his pal posted as to a good time to rob the bank?”
“Peter Herring,” said Jack, turning white but retaining full command of himself, “you are a miserable liar!”
“Oh, am I?” and Herring began to bluster, feeling sure of his ground. “You won’t deny that you had a meeting with a disguised man yesterday afternoon in the woods near the foot of the Academy hill, will you? Will you deny that you telegraphed with your pocket flashlight, ’Keep away from the bank on account of danger?’ You did not do that?”
“That was only a part of my message. It was sent to Mr. Brooke, the editor of the News at Riverton and not to the robbers.”
“Why should he send warning to the robbers, you toad?” demanded Dick, angrily.
“Stop, Dick, never mind,” said Jack, putting a hand on his friend’s arm. “The fellow is lying and he knows it.”