“That’s all right.”
At a signal from Peters the crowd of masked boys withdrew to the side of the fire.
Here a long talk followed. It was so low that Jerry could not hear a word.
Peters was making the crowd solemnly promise that they would not inform upon each other, no matter what happened.
“If we stick together, Upton can prove nothing,” he said. “He has no witnesses.”
“Right you are, Si.”
“We want to get square, and this is the chance of our lives to do it.”
“We can give him the tar and feathers and then leave him tied up in such a fashion that he can get free, but not before we have had a chance to make good our escape and get home and to bed.”
“That’s the way to fix it.”
“It will teach Lakeporters a good lesson,” put in one of the unknowns. “My! but ain’t I down on every one of ’em.”