"You must git!"
That was the decision; but just then others came up who sided with the desperadoes and things looked very scary for awhile, for half the crowd swore that the mine had belonged to the two claimants to it and that Billy ought to give it up.
But these were the men who disliked Billy and his party, as they were the honest miners, and who were willing to side with his foes.
"Ef ther boy wants ther mine he will hev to fight fer it," said one.
"He will fight for it and so will we!" cried one of Billy's friends.
All this time Billy had remained silent; but now he saw that his friends were in deadly earnest, and to prevent a general fight and much loss of life he said:
"The mine I own legally and I'll fight for it if that will settle it, but I don't want to have to fight both of you."
"Oh, but you must though," said one.
"If I must, I'll do it."
"But you shall not, Billy. These two devils only want to murder you so they can get the mine, and they sha'n't do it."