“No, we haven't,” Swatty said again. “We never had. We had a meeting and voted that there wouldn't be any Red Avengers any more and that there never had been.”
“But—but you couldn't,” Bony said.
“Yes, we could,” Swatty said. “We started it and I guess we had a right to stop it. Me and Georgie we voted on it. There never was any Red Avengers. And I'll lick anybody that says there was.”
“But—but don't we have to be true to the oath any more?” Bony asked.
“Pooh, no!” Swatty said. “When there ain't any Red Avengers there ain't any Red Avengers' oath, or nothing.”
“And can't anybody put me in state's prison for saying what the oath says I mustn't tell about any Red Avenger?” asked Bony.
“No, sir!” said Swatty. “That oath is a dead oath and don't count no more.”
“Well, then,” Bony said. “Toady did it!”
“Did what?” Swatty asked.
“Toady set the barn afire,” Bony said, still pretty scared. “I couldn't tell, because I took oath not to tell on any Red Avenger, but if there ain't any oath Toady did it. I saw him. He had a pack of real cigarettes and he didn't dare smoke while he was skating because Miss Carter was skating on the creek, too.