“Leave me alone!” he exclaimed. “The first of you to get too close will get a crack with this.”
“Let us both pitch into him,” came from Sam. “He ought to have a first-class thrashing.”
“You let me alone!” howled Hockley. “Don’t you dare to touch me!”
“Drop that club,” came from Darry. “Drop it, I say, or Sam and I will certainly pitch into you and you’ll get more than you want.”
“I—I won’t drop the club until you promise to let me alone.”
“Why did you fling that piece of wood at me?”
“You hadn’t any right to jaw at me.”
“It was your business to do your share of the work here.”
A war of words followed, and in the end Hockley dropped the club and consented to do some of the work. As soon as it was finished, he picked up his gun and started to move off.
“Where are you going?” demanded Darry. “The professor told us to remain here until he got back.”