"One rope will be enough as soon as we can find a tree."
The party was riding into the railroad camp now, and a dense crowd
pressed forward to see the face of the keeper of the Mansion House.
Ashby was chuckling gleefully. If any fear of the consequences of his
lawless behavior oppressed him, he was far from betraying the fact.
"Be gentle with him, friends," Tom urged, riding forward.
"Yes; we ought to be gentle with every rattlesnake," came an answer from
the crowd.
Ashby laughed harshly.
"You can't hurt me, neighbors," declared the hotel man. "I'm bullet
proof. Any man who fires at me will find that the bullet will rebound
and bit him. Tie me up to a tree, if you like. You'll find that I won't
choke. I'll just slide back to earth as often as you tie me up."
"Just what I thought," murmured Tom.
"What do you think?" demanded Mr. Ellsworth from the car.
"The man's as mad as a March hare," replied Reade.
"Humph! He's merely shamming," retorted the general manager.
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