100%: the Story of a Patriot eBook

And that was no passing mood either.  The seat of Peter’s trousers hurt so that he could hardly endure the trolley ride home, and all the way Peter was plotting how he could punish Mr. Godd.  He remembered suddenly that Mr. Godd was an associate of Nelse Ackerman; and Peter now had a spy in Nelse Ackerman’s home, and was preparing some kind of a “frame-up!” Peter would see if he couldn’t find some way to start a dynamite conspiracy against Mr. Godd!  He would start a campaign against Mr. Godd in the radical movement, and maybe he could find some way to get a bunch of the “wobblies” to carry him off and tie him up and beat him with a black-snake whip!

Section 65

With these reflections Peter went back to the American House, where McGivney had promised to meet him that evening.  Peter went to Room 427, and being tired after the previous night’s excitement, he lay down and fell fast asleep.  And when again he opened his eyes, he wasn’t sure whether it was a nightmare, or whether he had died in his sleep and gone to hell with Mr. Godd.  Somebody was shaking him, and bidding him in a gruff voice, “Wake up!” Peter opened his eyes, and saw that it was McGivney; and that was all right, it was natural that McGivney should be waking him up.  But what was this?  McGivney’s voice was angry, McGivney’s face was dark and glowering, and—­most incredible circumstance of all—­McGivney had a revolver in his hand, and was pointing it into Peter’s face!

It really made it much harder for Peter to get awake, because he couldn’t believe that he was awake; also it made it harder for McGivney to get any sense out of him, because his jaw hung down, and he stared with terrified eyes into the muzzle of the revolver.

“M-m-my God, Mr. McGivney! w-w-what’s the matter?”

“Get up here!” hissed the rat-faced man, and he added a vile name.  He gripped Peter by the lapel of his coat and half jerked him to his feet, still keeping the muzzle of the revolver in Peter’s face.  And poor Peter, trying desperately to get his wits together, thought of half a dozen wild guesses one after another.  Could it be that McGivney had heard him denouncing Mr. Godd and proclaiming himself a Red?  Could it be that some of the Reds had framed up something on Peter?  Could it be that McGivney had gone just plain crazy; that Peter was in the room with a maniac armed with a revolver?

“Where did you put that money I gave you the other day;” demanded McGivney, and added some more vile names.

Instantly, of course, Peter was on the defensive.  No matter how frightened he might be, Peter would never fail to hang on to his money.

“I-I s-s-spent it, Mr. McGivney.”

“You’re lying to me!”

“N-n-no.”

“Tell me where you put that money!” insisted the man, and his face was ugly with anger, and the muzzle of the revolver seemed to be trembling with anger.  Peter started to insist that he had spent every cent.  “Make him cough up, Hammett!” said McGivney; and Peter for the first time realized that there was another man in the room.  His eyes had been so fascinated by the muzzle of the revolver that he hadn’t taken a glance about.