Part 20 (1/2)
”Thieves. I happen to know that they travel right along with the show, and I shouldn't be surprised if you got part of their stealings, either,” Phil boldly flung at the showman.
Sully's face went redder than ever, while his fingers clenched and unclenched. It was evident that the man feared to let his anger get the better of him.
”If he ever lets go at me, I'm a goner,” thought Phil understanding that, besides an almost ungovernable temper, the man possessed great physical strength. ”I guess he won't do anything of the sort, unless I goad him to it. I believe that I have said about enough.”
”Watch him a minute, Bob,” directed Sully, rising and stepping to the other end of the car. He returned a minute later.
”Young man,” he said, ”if you had been more civil you might have gotten away with your bluff--”
”I have not tried to bluff you,” interjected Phil.
”As it is, I think I'll lock you up until morning, and, if you are ready then to make a clean breast of the whole affair, perhaps I shall let you go back with a message to your boss--a message that he won't like, I reckon.”
”You won't send any such message by me,” retorted Phil.
”Carry your own messages. Where you going to lock me up?”
”In a place where you will be safe. But I shouldn't advise you to get red-headed about it. There will be someone nearby to take all the howl out of you if you try it.”
”You had better not!”
”What do you think, Bob? Is it safe to let this fellow go?”
”Well, I suppose you've got to let him go sometime. He'll be getting us into trouble if you keep him.”
”I'll take the chance of that. We can drop him just before crossing the line back into the United States.”
”That's a good game.”
”Then the United States authorities can't take any action on an offense committed across the border. I don't believe they would, anyway. It is all a part of the show game. I'd like to drop the spy over the Falls when we get to Niagara,” added Sully.
”I might get wet if you did that,” grinned Phil.
”You'll be lucky if you don't get worse, which you will unless you keep a more civil tongue in your head. Yes; I guess that will be the best plan, Bob.”
”You--you don't mean that you will drop him over the Falls?”
gasped the foreman.
”No,” laughed Sully. ”Not that, much as I'd like to. But it would serve him right. I'm going to lock him up; that's what I mean.”
”Where?”
”Here.”
”But he'll get out.”
”Not from where I put him.”
The foreman looked about him a puzzled expression in his eyes.
”What do you say to the linen closet?”