“You’ve called the bet.”
Dorothy turned a very pale face toward Monty.
“Mr. Price, you wouldn’t—you couldn’t desert us now? You and Mr. Nels—”
“Desert you?” asked Monty, blankly.
“Yes, desert us. Leave us when we may need you so much, with something dreadful coming.”
Monty uttered a short, hard laugh as he bent a strange look upon the girl.
“Me an’ Nels is purty much scared, an’ we’re goin’ to slope. Miss Dorothy, bein’ as we’ve rustled round so much; it sorta hurts us to see nice young girls dragged off by the hair.”
Dorothy uttered a little cry and then became hysterical. Castleton for once was fully aroused.
“By Gad! You and your partner are a couple of blooming cowards. Where now is that courage you boasted of?”
Monty’s dark face expressed extreme sarcasm.