"Do what?" asked Cora.
"Give evidence."
"Don"t worry. You won"t have to do anything hard, dear," was the gentle answer, as Cora slipped her arm about the timid girl.
"Oh, I"ll do anything you girls do," was the quick answer. "I want to help."
"And we want your help," whispered Bess. "But, Cora, can"t we go closer? We ought to look in and see what happens."
"Brave Bess!" murmured Lottie. "You are certainly coming on finely."
The plotters were now inside the cabin, so that it was safe for the girls to advance. This they did until they were once more in a position where they could look in the window of the cabin.
They saw a strange sight. Old Denny Shane, brave and rugged, confronted the four men who had called on him. In one hand he grasped the red oar, while the other rested on the back of the chair from which he had risen.
"Well, Mr. Shane," said the man Cora knew as Bruce. "We come to see you on business."
"What kind?" asked the old man, and the girls could see him look around as though seeking help or a means of escape. But there was no fear in his eyes. Only defiance.
"We might as well get to business at once," said one of the men, sharply. That was Kelly.
"That"s right," agreed Moran. "Make him an offer. If he doesn"t want to take it then we"ll talk another kind of talk. And be quick about it."
"I want no business with you!" cried Denny, sharply. "Why do you come here bothering me?"
"You know why!" exclaimed Bruce. "You are concerned in the Lewis land matter. You can testify as to who owns it."
"Well, supposin" I can?" asked the old man, defiantly. "What is that to you?"
"Lots to us, and it may mean a great deal to you, also!" snapped out Kelly. "You may have some papers, too."
"I may," returned Denny, "but you"ll not get "em."
Cora and the others, listening, knew that Denny would only be too glad if he did have the doc.u.ments in question. But the girls had heard him lamenting that he did not know where they were.
Why did he now let the men think he did know? It was a puzzle to the girls.
"Not get them, eh?" cried Bruce. "That"s to be seen. Now look here, Shane. We came here to do business, and we"re going to do it. By fair means if we can, if not----"
He paused suggestively.
"Ah! I know you and your breed!" cried the old fisherman. "By fair means or foul! But try it on! I"m not afraid of you."
He stepped back a pace, the better to defend himself in case he had to. The red oar was still in his firm hands.
"Now wait a minute," put in Moran. "We"ll try the fair means first.
What do you say to that? Show him the bills."
With a quick gesture Bruce drew out a roll of greenbacks.
"Here you go, Shane!" he exclaimed. "There"s a cool hundred here, and it"s yours if you testify that the Widow Lewis has no claim on the land. And she hasn"t any claim that she can prove. All we want you to testify to is that her husband"s father sold the land some time before his death. We"ll do the rest."
"But he didn"t sell it!" cried Denny. "It was his on his dyin" day, and it belongs to his son"s widder and daughter now. That"s the law, an" you know it."
"She can"t prove that the land is hers," sneered Kelly.
"Maybe she can," returned Denny, quietly.
"Well, she can"t unless you tell what you know," broke in Bruce.
"We"ve found out that much. Now the factory wants that land, and it"s going to get it. Here, I"ll make it a hundred and fifty if you do as we want you to."
"An" testify to a lie?" cried Denny.
"It wouldn"t be exactly a lie. Besides, we"re willing to pay the widow a small sum."
"Not what the land"s worth. That"s valuable property," insisted Denny, "and it will keep her in her old age if she manages right. Be off with you! I"ll stick to the Widder Lewis, so I will. Be off!" and he motioned them to the door. "You wouldn"t have got this close if it hadn"t been that my dog was dead. Be off!"
"Not so fast," Cora and her chums heard Bruce say. "We haven"t said all we intend to."
"Oh, I"m sure something will happen now," quavered Bess.
"Hush," cautioned Cora. "We must do something!"
"Do something?" questioned Marita. "Oh, why don"t the boys come?"
Cora and her chums were close to the cabin now. They could look in the door, and through the uncurtained window, and see plainly all that went on. They could also hear plainly, for the men and old Denny spoke loudly. And, as yet, the girls had not been noticed.
"Now, look here!" said Bruce, and there was a snarl in his voice.
"This is our last offer, Shane. Either you take the hundred and fifty dollars, and testify the way we want you to, or we"ll find means to make you, and you won"t get the money. And I"ll say this, that we"ll treat the Widow Lewis as fair as we can."
"Which won"t be fair at all!" burst out Denny. "Not at all!"
"Well, what"s your answer?" cried Kelly. "We can"t stay here all night. Give him the money, Bruce. When he feels it he"ll hate to let it go."
Bruce held out the roll of bills. To the surprise of Cora and the girls the fisherman took them. Was he going to betray Freda and her mother?
The next instant they knew Denny for the brave-souled man he was.
"That"s me answer!" he cried, throwing the bills in the face of Bruce.
"Take your evil money and get out. I"ll stick to the widder!"
For a moment the men were nonplussed. Then, with an angry exclamation, Bruce started forward.
"Come, girls," said Cora, "we"ve got to go to the aid of Denny. For some reason the boys aren"t here. We"ve got to save him!" and with this brave resolve she moved toward the cabin.