“Now, then,” said Smirker, when he had fastened the door, “where is it? Hand it out here.”
“Where is what?” asked the boy.
“Why, you know. Didn’t you bring it?”
“No,” replied Julian, who of course had not the slightest idea what the man meant.
“Didn’t they say anything about it?” asked Smirker, who appeared to be very much disappointed as well as angry.
“Not a word.”
“Well, now, this way of doing business don’t suit me, and you may tell ’em that I said so. I run just as much risk here as them that steals the swag—every bit; ’cause how do I know but them soldiers will be down on me when I ain’t looking for them? Looks like they wanted to swindle me out of my share. But, after all, they ain’t ahead of me much, ’cause I—you won’t blow on me, Fred?”
“Of course not,” replied Julian.
“I’ve got a little plunder here that I’m going to keep till they come down with the yellow boys they owe me.”