“Do so—and I’ll have the law on you,” retorted Chet. “You can’t slander me for nothing,—and you can’t try to rob Andy, either.”
The last shot told, and Josiah Graham backed still further away.
“We’ll settle this some other time!” he muttered, and then turning, he disappeared into the crowd and hurried away much faster than was his usual speed.
Not to be questioned by those who had gathered, Andy and Chet pushed through the crowd in the opposite direction. Soon they were a couple of blocks from where the encounter had taken place, and then they slackened their pace.
“The miserable hound!” muttered Chet. He was still completely upset.
“Don’t take it so hard, Chet,” answered Andy, soothingly. “It’s just Uncle Si’s mean way, that’s all.”
“I suppose he tells everybody what he thinks I am!”
“Oh, I don’t think that. He was riled up, and wanted to say something extra mean. And it was mean—as mean as dirt!” added Andy.
He continued to talk soothingly to his chum, and presently Chet cooled down somewhat. But he still said he wished he had stayed and given Josiah Graham the thrashing of his life.
“He thinks I have the lost papers,” said Andy, later on.