Rudolph ground his teeth with ineffectual rage. He lamented that he had not a knife or pistol with him, but
he had made so sure of easy entrance into the house, and no resistance, that he had not prepared himself. As to brute force, he was no match for Abner.
The boy betrayed me!” he shrieked. “I’ll have his life!”
“Not much,” said Abner. “You’ll be lucky to get away with your own. It isn’t the boy. I was awake and heard you ask him to let you in. Now take yourself off.”
As he said this he gave a powerful push, and Rudolph reeled a moment and sank upon the ground, striking his head with violence.
He won’t try it again,” said Abner, as he shut the door and bolted it. “I guess he’s got enough for once.”
Tony stood by, ashamed and mortified. He was afraid Abner would class him with the tramp who had just been ignominiously expelled from the house. He was afraid he, too, would be thrust out of doors, in which case he would be exposed to brutal treatment from Rudolph. But he did not need to fear this. Abner had seen and heard enough to feel convinced that Tony was all right in the matter, and he did not mean to make the innocent suffer for the guilty.
Now let us go to bed, Tony,” he said, in a friendly manner. “You don’t want to go with him, do you?”
“No,” said Tony. “I never want to see him again.”
“I shouldn’t think you would. He’s a rascal and a thief.”