"None, none at all. But, ye see, we were under orders. We were told to come."
"Who told you?"
"Ben Stubbles."
"What did he tell you to do?"
"Lay fer ye by the road, an' give ye a thorough hidin'."
"Didn't you feel ashamed to undertake such a cowardly thing as that?"
"We did, an' we refused at first, an' told him that we didn't want to git into any trouble. But he promised that he would stand by an' take the hull blame. When we still refused, he threatened us, an' when that wouldn't work he produced the whiskey."
"Now, will you swear to all this?" Douglas asked.
"Swear! sure I will. I'll swear to them very words anywhere an' at any time. Won't ye, Pete?"
"Ay, ay," was the reply. "I'll swear any old time, an' I feel mighty like swearin' jist now, 'deed I do."