"Why, Augustus, it is perfectly straight," said his father. "The more lawyers he gets the better I shall like it. They will have every facility granted them for making a thorough investigation. One would think, from the way you talk, that you suspected something yourself."
"Father, there's no need of your beating about the bush any longer," said Gus, who thought, if he had to make a clean breast of the matter, it was time his father did so, too. "What makes you so nervous and excited?"
"It is the trouble you have got into with that fellow Barlow," said Mr. Layton. "I know all about it, and there's no use for you to try to deceive me. Now, I want you to tell me the whole thing. I have a little influence, and perhaps I can bring some good out of it."
"What do you know?"
"I know that you went into that saloon without anybody sending for you; that Ben Watson was asleep there on the table—or had his head pillowed on his arms as if he was asleep, but he was in reality wide-awake; that you began talking about the crew of the Smart; that you made up a scheme for kidnapping Bob—"
"I never did it in this world!" interrupted Gus. "You go and ask Barlow, and see if anything of the kind happened."
"I think I see myself going near that skin-flint!" said Mr. Layton. "Anyhow, you had your plans made up for taking Ben and Bob off on board that ship, and it was when Bob roused up and told you of it that Barlow shouted for his bull-dog and barkeeper."
"It isn't so! it isn't so!" said Gus, pounding with his fingers on the table.
"And to make the matter still worse, Mr. Sprague and his boy came in at that moment," pursued Mr. Layton, paying no heed to the interruption. "I tell you, Augustus, you have got yourself into a scrape. You begin to see it now, don't you?" he added, as Gus looked down at the carpet. "I don't know what will become of you if you keep on this way. Bob was doing well enough, and I don't see why you couldn't let him alone."
There was silence for a few minutes, for Gus had about got to the end of his rope. His father knew all about it, and he couldn't think what else to say. After waiting in vain for Gus to speak, he said: