Sam raised his head. “Oh, it’s nothing—nothing to talk about, that is.”
“Well,” said Lon meditatively, “it pays to experiment now and then. You never can tell ’bout some things. And there is sort of a relief, somehow, in usin’ the human voice—kinder safety-valve effect. And it looks to me as if you’d been bottlin’ up steam long enough.... T’other boys been rilin’ you, did you say?”
“Yes—but I didn’t say so.”
Lon waved a hand. “Well, now you’re started, go ahead. I’m listenin’.”
Sam hesitated. “It—it’s a long story.”
“What’s the odds? It’s a long time before we have to knock off for supper.”
“Oh, I couldn’t tell you everything.”
“Couldn’t, eh? That club o’ yourn in it?”
“Hang the club!” cried Sam hotly. “I’ll never go there again!”
Lon shook his head. “All right, maybe, only—only what do you fellers call yourselves? Beats all how I forget names!”