“I don’t say he deserves anything of me, but still I’m willing to do what I can to save him from going to prison,” said Dick, generously.
“Well, I don’t know what you expect to do. You’re the captain and I’m going it blind after you. But if you’ve a scheme for catching these fellows, and we do catch them, I suppose Luke could turn State’s evidence and escape the penalty.”
“Very likely.”
“I’m sorry you are getting mixed up in this matter,” said Joe, gloomily.
“Why so?” said Dick, looking at his companion in surprise. “You wouldn’t stand off and allow that old man to be robbed when you might be able to prevent it, would you?”
“I don’t mean that; but you forget that we are liable to be detained as witnesses if a capture is made, and that will give Silas Maslin a chance to get hold of you again.”
Dick stopped short and regarded his chum for a moment in silence.
He had not thought of that unpleasant contingency.
“This will make a slight change in my plans,” he said, suddenly. “I intended to get help to tackle these fellows, but I think now it will do as well if we succeed in scaring them off. I’m satisfied if we can put a spoke in their wheel, and it will do away with the difficulty you mentioned.”
To this plan Joe agreed with alacrity.