en Stubbles."

"What did he tell you to do?"

"Lay fer ye by the road, an' give ye a thorough hidin'."

"Didn't you feel ashamed to undertake such a cowardly thing as that?"

"We did, an' we refused at first, an' told him that we didn't want to
git into any trouble. But he promised that he would stand by an' take
the hull blame. When we still refused, he threatened us, an' when that
wouldn't work he produced the whiskey."

"Now, will you swear to all this?" Douglas asked.

"Swear! sure I will. I'll swear to them very words anywhere an' at any
time. Won't ye, Pete?"

"Ay, ay," was the reply. "I'll swear any old time, an' I feel mighty
like swearin' jist now, 'deed I do."

"But what will Ben say?" Douglas asked. "Won't he make it hot for you?"

"Let him make it hot, then," Pete declared. "I don't have to stay here
an' work fer old Stubbles. I kin go somewhere else, an' mebbe it will
be jist as well if I do."

"Who were the other men with you to-night besides Pete? It is
important that we should have their names."

"D'ye mind if I don't tell ye now, sir?" and Tom lifted his eyes to
Douglas' face. "They're all friends of mine, an' I'd hate to squeal on
'em."

"But you didn't mind telling on Ben, did you?"

"Oh, that's different. He ain't a friend of mine, an' never was. He's
big feelin' an' mighty, an' has no use fer the likes of me, unless he's
got some axe to grind. Oh, no, I don't mind squealin' on the likes of
him."

"But we must have the names of the men who were with you to-night,"
Douglas insisted. "I cannot help whether you like it or not."

"Look, sir, I'll tell ye this: Whenever ye want me an' Pete, we'll be
there, an' we'll have the rest with us."

"But perhaps they won't come, what then?"

"Don't ye worry a mite about that. They'll come all right. But
supposin' they buck an' won't come, then I'll tell ye their names.
I'll give 'em fair warnin', an' if they don't come I'll squeal on 'em
then, but not before. Will that do, sir?"

"Yes, I suppose so," Douglas assented. "But don't you fail to come
when you're called. We have all these witnesses to what you have said
to-night. You may go now."

CHAPTER XXII

COMPELLED TO SERVE

Douglas and his companions stayed for some time after Tom and Pete
left. There was much to talk about, and Nell had to go upstairs to
explain everything to her father who was greatly agitated over the
unusual disturbance. Then, there was