Darry began to whistle and looked at the ceiling.
“If you think I did it why do you ask me?” he snapped at last.
“Well—er—Hockley says you had the pitch.”
“I’ll take Darry’s word every time,” put in Sam, who saw that a crisis was at hand.
“So will I,” added Frank.
“I’m not holding back,” put in Mark, hastily. “Even if he did do it, it was only a joke. But if he didn’t do it, we ought to know it and lay for the joker. I won’t stand for such a joke from anybody outside of our crowd.”
“Would you take such a joke from me?” demanded Darry, suddenly, and now he looked one and another full in the face.
“Yes,” came in a chorus.
Darry looked relieved.
“Well then, I didn’t do it, and I don’t know who did.”