“I’ll tell you,” said a brutal voice.
Turning, Tom beheld a stout young fellow, about two years older than himself, with a face in which the animal seemed to predominate.
“I’ll let you know. What have you been doing to my dog?”
Addressed in this tone, Tom thought it unnecessary to throw away politeness upon the newcomer.
“Killing him,” he answered shortly.
“What business had you to kill my dog?” demanded the other fiercely.
“It was your business to keep the brute locked up, where he wouldn’t do any one harm,” said Tom. “As you didn’t I was obliged to kill him.”
“I’ll flog you within an inch of your life,” said the other, with an oath.
“You’d better not try it,” said Tom coolly. “I suppose you think I ought to have let the dog bite Miss Somers.”
“He wouldn’t have bitten her.”