"What brought you into these woods to-night?
Did you expect that we'd invite you in to join us ?" "Nope.

Not quite," Hen replied, a crafty look in his eyes.
"Then out with the truth, Hen Dutcher!" broke in Dave.
"I don't have to tell you fellows, do I ?" "Yes, if you want to stay here to-night!" blurted Tom Reade.
"You fellows wouldn't put me out in the cold again!" dared Hen.
"Wouldn't we ?" retorted Greg Holmes.
"I just wanted a tramp, and took one," replied Hen sulkily.
"That's too thin!" snapped Dan Dalzell.
"Then you fellows can invent your own story," offered Hen.
"Out with him, fellows!" called Harry Hazelton, making a dive for Hen.
"Don't you dare!" blustered Dutcher tremulously.
"Out with Hen, if he doesn't tell the truth, and the whole of it," advised Tom Reade.
"Dick, you ain't going to let these fellows do anything of the sort, are you ?" quavered Hen.

"Why, I'd die if I had to be put out into the storm again." "Why can't you tell us the truth, Hen ?" asked Dick quietly, fixing a searching gaze on Dutcher.

Then, with a sudden flash of inspiration, Dick added, "Who was out this way with you ?" "No one," Hen replied.
"Don't tell us that," warned young Prescott.

"Who were the other fellows in the crowd ?" "I tell you I came alone," Hen insisted, with rising color, as he shifted under Dick's steady gaze.