Everybody was shouting in chorus, and Farmer Jones clapped Davie’s shoulder with a glad hand. “Say, youngster, that’s th’ feller, ain’t it?”
David drew a long breath. But Mamsie, having often said, “Tell the truth,” he said, “Yes.” And one of the young farmers, finding the capture a trifle dull, crowded roughly up against the prisoner. This was the signal for the others, who began to wreak a little of the vengeance to come upon their man.
David stood straight up in the wagon. “Don’t hurt him,” he begged.
The young man with the evil eyes turned them upon Davie; but he said nothing.
“Easy there,” commanded Farmer Jones.
“We don’t want such fellers comin’ to Badgertown,” said the first young farmer. “Come on, boys, we must give him a hustle before we fetch him to Cherryville jail.”
“You mustn’t hurt him,” said Davie in a loud voice. His cheeks were very red, and his blue eyes flashed.
“What this boy says, goes,” cried Farmer Jones sharply. “D’ye understand?”
They did, Simeon Jones being a person to be reckoned with. And pretty soon the young man who had visited Mr. Atkins’ store had his hands neatly tied together with a piece of rope, and he found himself in a wagon, the horse being turned to the road leading to Cherryville jail.
“You tell that boy,” he nodded his head over toward David, “that ’tain’t his fault that I’m took, an’ I’m obliged to him for trying to save me.”