He displayed the
weapon from which a bullet had sped toward his own head.
"Hey!" shouted Stubbs. "Put that gun down! Don't shoot!"
The little man was so visibly frightened that Hal looked at him in
surprise.
"Surely you didn't think I was going to shoot you, Mr. Stubbs?" he asked
in some surprise.
"I don't know," returned Stubbs, wiping a moist brow with his
handkerchief. "I don't understand you fellows at all. First you said you
wanted to kill me five minutes ago and there you stand with a gun in your
hand. What am I to think?"
"Stubbs, you're crazy," said Hal, calmly. "I didn't say I wanted to kill
you. When I came into the tent just now there was a man took a shot at
me. I don't know whether he wanted to kill me, or whether he wanted to
kill you. He may even have been trying to kill Chester. He didn't take
time to investigate. He fired at the first figure to enter the tent. I
don't know who he was. Have you any enemies?"
"I--I--Why I don't know," said Stubbs.
"How about the conspirators. Do any of them know you?"
"What conspirators?" demanded Stubbs, and added, "I wish you would quit
harping on that subject. It's all right to have a little fun with me once
in a while.
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