"'Pears to me you won't anyhow."
"Ye'll not git back down the ridge!"
"Now, now," Ike soothed, "jest leave that to Uncle Ike. I got up it, didn't I?"
Ike whirled to face Pete and something inside of Jeff turned cold. He had seen angry men, but suddenly he knew that not even Barr Whitney was as strong in anger as Ike Wilson. It was an inward quality, for outwardly he remained very gentle and he did not raise his voice.
"I come fer Bucky."
Pete muttered sullenly, "Got nothin' to do with Bucky."
"Oh, yes, you have," Ike corrected him. "Yes, you have. Bucky's still in Broadview, but you're goin' to help get him out. Bet that if you strained yourself, you could mind the night we got Wheeler's chickens. You was goin' to stay behin't, you said, an' leave us know should somebody come. But when the police come, you was a long ways behin't. What'd they pay you fer turnin' us in, Pete?"
Sweat glistened on Pete's brow. "I had naught to do with it!"
"You'll never git anywhere, Pete, lyin' in such a way. Are you comin' like a little man, or am I goin' to scatter your spare parts from here to Cressman?"
Pete gasped, "What you goin' to do with me?"