"See here," said the merchant at last. "It's too late for us to quarrel. What good would an exposure to Holtzmann do?"
"Never mind. If you won't come to time, I shall do as I please," growled Stumpy.
"But a thousand dollars! I haven't got it in cash."
"You can easily get it."
"Not so easily as you think. Tell you what I will do. I'll give you a hundred. But you must give up all evidence you have against me."
Stumpy gave a short, contemptuous laugh. "You must think me as green as grass," he sneered. "I'm not giving up any evidence. I'm holding on to all I've got and gathering more."
"You have Nicholas Weaver's statement," went on Mr. Woodward, with interest.
"So I have. Nick told the truth in it, too."
"I would like to see it"
"Of course you would. So would some other people,—Carson Strong's boy, for instance."