Page:Ruth Fielding at Silver Ranch.djvu/53

Rh "I dunno, Miss. Old Bill's some hot under the collar himself—and he might well be. Last night's circus cost him a pretty penny."

"Did you ever see this man they say is crazy?" demanded Ruth.

"I told you I did oncet."

"What sort of a looking man is he?"

"He ain't no more'n a kid, Miss. That's it; he's jest a tenderfoot kid."

"A boy, you mean?" queried Ruth, anxiously.

"Not much older than that yere whitehead ye brought with yuh," said Ike, beginning to grin now that he had become a bit more familiar with the Eastern girl, and pointing at Bob Steele. "And he ain't no bigger than him."

"You wouldn't let your boys injure a young fellow like that, would you?" cried Ruth. "It wouldn't be right."

"I dunno how I'm goin' to stop 'em from mussin' him up a whole lot if they chances acrost him," said Ike, slowly. "He'd ought to be shut up, so he had."

"Granted. But he ought not to be abused. Another thing, Ike—I'll tell you a secret."

"Uh-huh?" grunted the surprised foreman.

"I want to see that young man awfully!" said Ruth. "I want to talk with him"

"Sufferin' snipes!" gasped Ike, becoming so greatly interested that he forgot it was a girl he