"
"Search me--oh, by jiminy, here he comes! I'm going to take a scoot,
Ford. Don't give me away, will you? And if I was you, I wouldn't say
anything to Mose--I know that old devil pretty well. He'll keep mighty
quiet about it himself--unless you jump him about it. Then he'll roar
around to everybody he sees, and claim it was a plant."
He slid stealthily through the outer door, and Ford saw him run down
into the gully and disappear, while Mose was yet half-way from the
stable.
Ford sat on the edge of a bunk and looked at the jug beside him. If Dick
had deliberately planned to tempt him, he had chosen the time well; and
if he had not done it deliberately, there must have been a malignant
spirit abroad that day.
For twenty-four hours Ford had been more than usually restless and
moody. Even Buddy had noticed that, and complained that Ford was cross
and wouldn't talk to him; whereupon Mrs. Kate had scolded Josephine and
accused her of being responsible for his gloom and silence. Since
Josephine's conscience sustained the charge, she resented the accusation
and proceeded deliberately to add to its justice; which did not make
Ford any the happier, you may be sure.
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