“Did yer tell Murray as it was Ted lifted all Buggy’s rhino, an’ let the old chap peg out wi’ his ribs stickin’ together? Did yer, you——— Spit it out, or we’ll make yer.”
Ted was staring, the colour gone from his face, his hand shut on Mogger’s shoulder. Steve saw only that the shock of this had caught him full-flood and unprepared.
“Ted,” he cried. “Ted, old man, yer needn’t think there’s one o’ us believes it! If it was twenty thousand gone ’stead o’ two, we’d not think as you took it, Ted.’
Ted put him aside.
“Jimmie,” he said. “What are they sayin’, Jimmie?”
“We’re tellin’ him as he stole it himself———”
“That’s a lie,” said Ted, speaking through his teeth. “Are you going to take it back, Raplin?”
“Ask Jimmie will he plaze tell Raplin that same,” suggested Tod, and Scott laughed.
“Jimmie’s got other fish to fry,” he said. “How yer goin’ ter prove in Court as Ted tuk it, Jimmie? Yer telled Murray yer would, yer know.”
Lou put aside the smoke- wreath gently, looking over at Jimmie. And Jimmie stood with loose hands, and a brain that would tell him nothing. Once before the boys had had the handling of him in their wrath, and he had been very much afraid. But there was that in the
