"Quit plaguin' the kid, Long," he drawled. "The cash'll be all there when Tug Blackstock gits back, an' it'll save a lot of trouble an' misunderstandin', havin' him to see to dividin' it up fair an' square. Let Woolly Billy out."
Long Jackson shook his head obstinately, and opened his mouth to reply, but at this moment Woolly Billy found his voice.
"Let me out! Let me out! _Let me out!_" he screamed shrilly, stamping his feet and clenching his little fists.
Instantly a heavy body was hurled upon the outside of the door, striving to break it in.
Zeb Smith swung his long legs down from the counter hurriedly.
"The kid's right, an' Black Dan's right. Open the door, Long, an' do it quick. I don't want that there dawg comin' through the winder. An' he'll be doin' it, too, in half a jiff."
"Git along, then, Woolly, if ye insist on it. But no more peppermints, mind," growled Jackson, throwing open the door and stepping back discreetly. As he did so, Jim came in with a rush, just saving himself from knocking Woolly Billy over. One swift glance assured him that the child was all right, but very angry about something.
"It's all right, Jim. Come with me," said Woolly Billy, tugging at the animal's collar. And the pair stalked away haughtily side by side.
Tug Blackstock arrived the next morning about eleven. Before he had time to sit down for a cup of that strenuous black tea which the woodsmen consume at all hours, he had heard from Woolly Billy's eager lips the story of the hole in the tree beneath the fish-hawk's nest. He heard also of the episode at Zeb Smith's store, but Woolly Billy by this time had quite forgiven Long Jackson, so the incident was told in such a way that Blackstock had no reason to take offence.
"Long tried _hard_," said the child, "to get me to tell where that hole was, but I _wouldn't_. And Black Dan was awful nice, an' made him stop botherin' me, an' said I was quite right not to tell _anybody_ till you came home, coz you'd know just what to do."
"H'm!" said the Deputy-Sheriff thoughtfully, "Long's had a lot of money stole from him, so, of course, he wanted to git his eyes on to that hole quick. But 'tain't like Black Dan to be that thoughtful. Maybe he _hasn't_ had none taken."