"I--I can't tell," he stammered.
"What?" exclaimed the other. "You want to hide things from me? Don't
you suppose I know that he's still in town; and that you and him have
been doin' jobs?"
"No--no!" cried Samuel in terror.
"You can't lie to me!" threatened the chief. "I know you, you young
villain!"
He stood glaring at the boy for a few moments. "And you have the nerve
to come here!" he cried. "What do you want anyway?"
"I--I want to hold a meeting, sir."
"Who's given you a license to make trouble in this town?"
"Nobody's given me one yet," replied Samuel. "That's what I came for."
"Don't you get gay with me!" snapped the chief. But Samuel was far
from the thought of getting gay with anyone--he was trembling in his
boots. The man towered over him like a huge gorilla, and his red face
was ferocious.
"Now look here, young fellow!" he went on. "You might as well get this
straight. You'll get no permit to make any speeches in Lockmanville!
D'ye see?"
"Yes, sir."
"And what's more, you'll not make any speech. D'ye see?"
"But--but--" gasped the boy.
And McCullagh shook his finger so that it almost hit Samuel's nose.
"You'll not make any speech! You'll not make it on the street, and
you'll not make it anywheres else in town! And you might as well get
that through your nut and save yourself trouble. And if I hear of you
givin' out any more papers on the street--you'll wish you hadn't--
that's all, young fellow! D'ye see?"
"I see," gasped Samuel.
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