A few words sufficed to acquaint the latter with all that had happened.
It certainly was discouraging, to say the least, that Master Thurston should be obliged to spend so much time just at this hour, when trade was most flourishing; but he did not neglect what was manifestly his duty, even though it cost him so much in the way of prospective profits.
His first thought on approaching his partner was to attempt to soothe him; but after a few moments he realized how useless such a task would be, and proceeded at once to more heroic measures.
"Now, see here, Carrots, this won't do at all. It ain't any good for you to try to have Skip 'rested for takin' that dollar, an' the lawyer'll be mad, jest as likely as not, if you go to him 'bout it. Course it's pretty hard to git sich a thumpin'; but it's over now, an' we've got to figger how we can git the best of that villain ourselves."
"He's worse'n a villain—he's a heathen!" Carrots yelled.
"Well, call it a heathen then. We'll square up with him before we're much older, an' that's a good deal better'n tryin' to get somebody else to do it for us. I'll bet he has to give up that money before a week, an' we can 'ford to wait two or three days for the sake of doin' the thing right."
"I don't see how we'll ever get the best of Skip. He's always got his gang with him."
"We'll find some way before long, so you'd better fix yourself up and get to work. There's all the more need of hustlin' now we've lost a dollar."
"I didn't lose it! It was stole!"
"Well, it's gone, an' we've got to make it up. Now, be a man, an' to-night we'll talk this thing over."