“We came from the other end of the cave, Brassy,” answered Jack.
“How long have you been here?”
“We’ve been here long enough to hear the talk you had with that fellow named Haddon,” answered Fred.
“You did!” Brassy turned pale. “It wasn’t very nice to listen when you had no business to!”
“Never mind about that now, Brassy. What we want to know is, did you or that fellow rob Colby Hall?”
“He did it! I didn’t have a thing to do with it—at least, willingly!” cried Brassy Bangs. “He forced me to do everything I did. He threatened me in all sorts of ways—said he would put me in prison and all that if I didn’t help him. Oh, he’s the worst man there ever was!” groaned the overwrought boy. And now the others could see that he was on the verge of collapse.
“See here, Brassy, why don’t you tell us the whole story?” put in Gif kindly.
“Why should I tell my story to you? All you fellows are against me—you always were!”
“We’re not against you, Brassy,” answered Jack. “If you can prove to us that you’re really being hounded by that man, we’ll do what we can to help you. Isn’t that so, fellows?” And at this question the others nodded.
“Hounded is right! He’s done nothing but hound me ever since he knew me,” whined the accused one.