Henry apparently understood it differently. Or, more likely, he didn't understand at all. Henry was, at the moment, a storm centre with considerable emotional disturbance still to come. Any one who has followed Henry, who knows him at all, will understand that such disturbance within him led directly and always to action. Whatever he may have said to Mr Davis, he was helpless. He had to function in his own way. Probably Mr Davis's use in the situation was to stimulate Henry's already overactive brain. Hardly more. Certainly it was hardly later than a quarter or twenty minutes past seven when Henry appeared at Charlie Waterhouse's place on Douglass Street. The town treasurer was on the lawn, shifting his sprinkler by the light of the arc lamp on the corner and smoking his after-supper cigar. The conversation took place across the picket fence, one of the few surviving in Sunbury at this time. Henry said, fiercely:-- 'I want to talk to you about that libel suit.' 'Can't talk to me, Henry. You'll have to see my lawyer.' 'Yay-ah, I know. I've got a lawyer too.' 'All right. Let 'em talk to each other.' 'You know you can't get any ten thousand dollars.' 'Can't talk about that.' 'Yes, you can. You gotta.' 'Oh, I've gotta, have I?' 'Yes, you bet you have. Some people seem to think you've got a case.' 'Guess there ain't much doubt about that.' 'Mebbe there ain't. Even if what I said was true.' 'Look here, Henry, I don't care to have this kind o' talk going on around here. You better go along.' 'Go along nothing! I'll say every word of it. And what's more, you'll listen. No, don't you go. You stand right there.' Charlie, a stoutish man in an alpaca coat, with a florid countenance and a huge moustache, gave a moment's consideration to the blazing young crusader before him. The boy wasn't going to be any too easy to handle. He had no need to see him clearly to become aware of that fact. Charlie shifted his cigar. 'Lemme put it this way. S'pose you could sting me. You'd never get ten thousand. But s'pose, after I get through talking, you decide to go ahead and push the case-----' 'Push the case? Well, rather!' 'Wait a minute! All right, let's say you're going ahead and fight for part o' that ten thousand. What you think you could get. Then what'm I going to do?' 'Do you suppose I care what----' 'Oh, yes you do! Now listen! I want you to get this straight. You----' '_You_ want _me_ to----' 'Keep still! Now here's----' 'Look here, I won't have you----' 'Yes, you will! Listen. If you fight, I'll fight. I'll go straight after you. I'll run you to earth. I'll hire detectives to shadow you. I _know_ you ain't straight, and I'll show you up before the whole dam town. I'm right and I tell you right here I'm going to _prove_ it! I'll put you in prison! I'll----' During most of this speech Charlie was talking too. But in so low a tone that he could hardly miss what Henry was saving. He broke in now with a loud:-- 'Shut up!'