“An’ I’d jes’ like to mention,” added another man, “the people as takes up for ’em ain’t goin’ to find it no ways a easy proposition.”
Certainly Lupo had enlisted the sympathies of the entire village in his own behalf.
“I told your friend at the hotel a moment ago,” said the doctor, “that he and Lupo had better be careful how they meddled in this business. If you don’t want to engage yourself to me to find this unfortunate man, you have a perfect right to refuse. It’s only a common act of kindness at any rate. But I would warn you that if you and your friends intend to make trouble, you will get into trouble. That’s all.”
The mountaineer scowled.
“We can prove he set Razor Back on fire,” he said. “He was seen in the neighborhood prowling about with a can of oil yesterday morning.”
“At what time?” demanded Billie quickly.
“I don’t know the exact hour, lady, but it was some time in the forenoon.”
“Well,” ejaculated Billie angrily, “that shows how much evidence you have to go upon. There’s not a word of truth in it and you have no right to spread that wicked report founded on a falsehood. Mr. French was at Sunrise Camp just about that time and he couldn’t have got anywhere near Razor Back Mountain in hours. We have a witness to prove what we say.”
“It may not have been forenoon, come to think of it,” said the man doggedly.
“Nonsense,” exclaimed the exasperated Billie, as the “Comet” dashed away with a contemptuous honk-honk, leaving the defeated mountaineer standing in the middle of the road.