It had got about the station that Red Mick had at last been caught in flagrante delicto; the house-cook had told the cook at the men's hut, and he had told the mailman, who stopped on the road to tell the teamsters ploughing along with their huge waggons to Kiley's Crossing; they told the publican at Kiley's, and he told everybody he saw.

The children made a sort of play out of it, the eldest boy personating Red Mick, while two of the younger ones hid in a fallen tree, and were routed out by Thomas Carlyle.

The station-hands were all excitement; the prospect of a big law-case was a real godsend to them.

To drop the matter would be equivalent to a confession of defeat, but, after what had passed, Hugh had no option.
So he told Mr.Grant that, on thinking it over, he did not consider it advisable to go on with the case against Red Mick; Miss Grant would have to go into the box to give evidence, which would be very unpleasant for her.
Poor Hugh! He was too honourable to give any false reason, and too shy to tell the whole truth.

If he had said that there was no hope of a conviction, it would have been all right.