“You liar,”’ burst out Hardacre fiercely, “you had come after my fowls and you poisoned my dog two days ago.”
“No, sir, I’ve never been here before,” wailed the man, “and I was here quite by chance to-night. I——”
“Shut up!” thundered Hardacre. He almost hissed out his next words. “You little sneaking rat, I saw you spying from the willows the other day. I was watching you through my glasses.” He spoke menacingly. “You wait a moment and you’ll feel what I’m going to give you. You won’t have a whole bone in your body after I’ve done with you, you little thieving blackguard!”
He turned to reach for the dog whip hanging on the wall, quite unknowing that in all his life before never had he been in greater danger than he was then. His back was towards the man and there was a big butcher’s kni
