“Reckon hit’s Black John Berkhart and his brother, Blinkie Bill, and mebby Hog Farley.”
“H’m,” said the judge. “I know ’em. We’ll just step over there.”
“No, no,” said Marion, hanging back. “I—I couldn’t.”
“That’s all right, little girl,” the judge reassured her. “They’re just plain mountain folks. I can’t understand their actions of yesterday, but that’s what we’re going over there to find out.”
The men in the cabin appeared a little startled at sight of the judge and the girls, but having motioned them to seats around the crude fireplace, they sat there in stoical silence.
“Black John,” said the judge in a friendly tone, “I’m told you took this little girl from her home yesterday and carried her away over the mountains.”
“I ’low you’re right informed, Jedge.”
“Don’t you know that’s kidnapping?”
“You kin name it, Jedge. I ain’t much on larnin’ nohow.”
“Why did you do it?”