“Have a heart,” said Roy, “you don’t want to kill him.”
“Let’s ask Warde to go too,” said Pee-wee, “because he–I kind of think he doesn’t believe Blythe is a criminal. Maybe the others think so, but he doesn’t–that’s what I think. And you don’t because you said so.” Then he added anxiously, “Do you?”
“I–I guess not, Kid,” Roy answered doubtfully. He was almost ashamed to say this, seeing the sturdy little champion at his side.
“We’ll get Warde,” Pee-wee said, “because he likes Warde, and Warde’s pretty good at jollying me, too. And that’ll be good because we’re the three that stick up for Blythe, hey? And if any of those men say anything there’ll be three of us to answer them.”
“They won’t let us stay long, Kid,” Roy said.
“I don’t care, anyway we’ll see him; and I’m going to tell him that the three of us know he’s innocent.”
“No, don’t tell him that, Kid,” said Roy more thoughtfully. “Let’s not speak about that. If he’s innocent–”
“What do you mean, if?” Pee-wee asked.
“I mean it looks bad for him, Kid,” said Roy frankly. “If his brain wasn’t just right, then it wasn’t so bad. See? He’s the one that did it, you saw the pictures, Kid, and the label on his coat. But if he didn’t know all about what he was doing then it wasn’t so bad. The grown people know best, Kid. But that isn’t saying we can’t be friends with him.”
“You go back on what you said?” Pee-wee demanded grimly.