I'll shoot you those two,
yet; but I'd rather try you ten birds straight--ten double rises, just
the kind we were shooting at. I reckon we'd better settle this thing
square!"
There was something very unpleasant in his tone and manner. Hodge saw
the glance, heard the words, and could hardly resist the temptation to
walk up and knock him down.
"The scoundrel!" he hissed to Browning. "What is he driving at? Does he
mean that Merry hasn't given him a fair deal, or that he had the gun
explode in some way to keep from being tied by him, or beaten? Perhaps
he is hinting crooked work against me! If he does, I'll punch his head,
sure. Frank is a fool to stand such stuff."
Merriwell showed a slight trace of annoyance. He took Badger by the arm
and they walked aside together. A dozen men were examining the gun, and
a score more were craning their necks to get a look at it, while all
sorts of excited conjectures and comments filled the air.
"See here, Badger," said Merriwell, somewhat sternly. "You think Hodge
may be responsible for that accident. He isn't--no more than I am! You
either had mud in the gun----"
"Or something was the matter with the shells!"
"Exactly. That is what I was going to say, if you had let me finish the
sentence. No more shells will be used out of that box.
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