“It strikes me you’ve got a pretty flip tongue for a youngster,” he said, slowly. “Better learn to curb it before you get in a mix-up with some one who is liable to mislay his manners.”
Larry Burnham’s loud chuckle added to Tom’s feelings of hot resentment, although a glance from Dave Brandon was sufficient to check an angry reply.
“Are you going to stay in the village long?” asked Sam Randall.
“No; I’m on a ‘special,’” answered Ashe. And being a young trooper he spoke with an air of some importance.
“Hope you’ll succeed,” said Dick Travers, “and won’t get mixed up with any of those dangerous characters Teddy Banes has been telling us about.”
“Smugglers,” laughed Tom—“those awful chaps who scared Jed Warren away!”
“Many time Warren come here,” said Thunderbolt. “Much good man.”
Chief Wandering Bear, puffing away on his pipe with mechanical precision, nodded assent.
“Yes—a strong man,” he said. “He rides like Indian; Indian likes him.”
“Sure,” agreed Thunderbolt. “Last time me see him he say: ‘Thunderbolt, I go to Fool’s Castle, and——’”