“Well, comfort yourself with the thought that you may never see him again. There’s nothing to bring him back here.”
“O, yes there is. Didn’t I tell you that he and his companion rode off two of father’s horses? Of course they must bring them back. It isn’t a safe piece of business in this country, I tell you, for a man to keep a horse that doesn’t belong to him. The people won’t allow it.”
“And you knew this all the while, and yet held fast to that stolen horse!” said Gus.
“Now, look here,” exclaimed Ned, angrily, “I know that I was a blockhead. I was bound to keep the horse, and didn’t stop to think of the consequences. When I had a chance to give him up I did not dare do it, for fear that the owner would do something to me before I could explain matters to him.”
“Well, the horse is gone now, and you are all right. If you are afraid to meet those men, keep your eyes open and dig out when they come back with your father’s horses.”
“But suppose that while I am gone Philip should take it into his head to tell them that I had the horse in my possession when they were here before, and wouldn’t give him up?”
“If he does that, tell your father that he was the one who let the raiders into the house.”
“Now, what earthly good would that do me? Would it get me out of the scrape?”
“No; but you would have the satisfaction of knowing that you had repaid Philip by getting him into just as much trouble as he got you into.”
“But that isn’t what I want. I want to clear myself, and I don’t know how to do it.”