“I can say this,” stated one of the boys, “that I didn’t mention your name to the judge, Ross. So there’s no chance for a fight between you and me. But when you come to twitting about the throwing-down business, let me remind you that you did the first job in that line; you threw us all down. And that was after we had turned a trick that saved you and your uncle good money.”
“But what the rest of you wanted to do was go around in the night and raise the devil in this town, simply for the sake of mischief. I wouldn’t do that, and I told you so.”
“But how about a case where we’d be protecting ourselves against somebody who was doing us dirt?”
“Nothing like that has been put up to me.”
“It’s going to be in about three seconds. You organized this society; now do something for it. We’re going to coat that detective with molasses and feathers and ride him out of the village on a rail. We call on you to boss the job.”
“I won’t do it.”
“Then join in with us and help.”
“No!”
“This isn’t mischief—it’s tackling an enemy. You haven’t got any good excuse for throwing us down.”
“I’ve got an excuse that suits me. I have made up my mind to travel straight in this town, after this. I’m going to do it. I have my own good reasons for doing it.”