"Just as you say," he said, awful nice and friendly like.
* * * * *
We could hear them rowing across and talking. The lanterns looked like two little stars. One fellow said it would take a week to clear out the pit. I heard Mr. Elting say, "It must have happened as soon as he crawled into that passage, because the passage surely didn't go far."
"Now are you satisfied?" I said to Westy; "you see how I'm to blame. I though it could be a mile long."
"Winton thought so too," Westy said.
"I wouldn't listen to anything against him—not now," I said. Anyway, I knew he couldn't be saved—I just did. Then I said, "Westy, Bert and I were going to square Skinny. We were going to prove he didn't take the money. And we were going to see he got the cross. I never heard you say what you thought. All I know is what everyone in camp thinks. But listen. If a fellow is willing to give up his life, as Bert did, trying to prove a fellow innocent—if he's just willing to give up doing everything else—he sat on the top of his troop cabin—he did—and said to me—"
"Don talk," Westy said; "just sit still and let me row you around. Hear that night hawk?"
"Then doesn't that prove that he's innocent?" I asked him. "Any fellow with any sense can see that. You needn't tell me what you think—but the—the gold cross isn't dead—it isn't—and a fellow can—he can win it after he's dead—and those Elks—"
"Listen," Westy said; "there's somebody on shore."
"What do I care?" I said.