"Your own self and the bottle. Do you think you can hurt me? Nonsense!"
"I can try."
"And who will believe you, I repeat? A common tramp—whom the police are now hunting for, because of a robbery that occurred only last night."
"'Tain't so!"
"It is. You broke into the Widow Canby's house and stole over two hundred dollars."
In spite of the dirt on his face, John Stumpy grew pale.
"Who can prove it?"
"Several people. Carson Strong's son, for one."
Stumpy sprang to his feet. Then almost as suddenly sat down.
"Didn't know he had a son," he said, as carelessly as he could.