“Nothin’ belongin’ to me, eh? What else did ye find?”
“You’ll learn about that later,” said Harry.
“Ha! you’re keepin’ something back! I can see it in yer faces! Give it up, I say, give it up!” And Hiram Skeetles took a savage step forward.
“Leave the lads alone,” came sternly from Joel Runnell. “What they’ve got belongs to them.”
“He’s got them papers!” screamed Skeetles, losing all self-control. “Take ’em from him, Dan!” And he pointed at Joe.
Marcy took a step forward as if to catch hold of Joe, but a well-directed blow from old Runnell’s hand sent him sprawling in the snow.
“Clear out,” said the old hunter, wrathfully. “If you don’t——”
He tapped his gun, but it was unnecessary. The bully staggered to his feet and retreated without delay. Seeing this, Hiram Skeetles also fell back, glaring angrily at our friends as he did so.
“What are ye goin’ to do?” he asked, after a pause.
“I am going to help my folks get back the property that belongs to them,” answered Joe. “Hiram Skeetles, you are found out, and the less fuss you make the better off you’ll be.”