Charley had started to join his companions but he paused in indecision, and Hunter went on eagerly.
"Say, I did put the stuff there. Say, I could make a lot of money off it right now. Say, I ain't going to dig it up with witnesses to see and testify agin me. Say, I'd give you fifty dollars to take your party off the island for one single night, one hundred dollars if you quit the island for good. What would you say to that, eh?"
Charley considered for a moment. "Nothing doing," he replied, slowly. "In the first place, you and your gang have done us more than one hundred dollars' damage. No use denying it," he said, hotly, as Hunter protested his innocence. "You were pretty slick with your tricks but we know who has been responsible for our troubles. In the second place, to smuggle in and to sell liquor in a dry county is a felony. If we connived at we would be guilty also. Third, I wouldn't take your word for anything. Lastly, I don't know where the stuff is, anyway."
"You lie!" snarled Hunter, his little black eyes flashing evilly. "You know where it is buried."
Charley grew white around the lips. "Be careful what you say," he cautioned. "If you will just follow me, I'll show you something."
He led the way in silence to where the liquor had been buried.
At sight of the hole and the freshly upturned earth, Hunter grew livid with rage.
"You've stole it, you've stole it," he gasped.
"We have not touched the stuff," Charley denied. "If you fellows didn't remove it, I don't know who did."