vered, Phil swept his hat from his head and
politely wished all "good afternoon."

Mr Barrington almost exploded with rage. "Take that barge back at
once, you young rascal," he shouted. "I'll have you up for stealing.
How dare you? Take it back at once!"

But meanwhile a crowd had gathered, and quickly understanding the joke,
they laughed long and loudly and cheered the three boys. As for Joe
Sweetman, he was convulsed, and this added not a little to the mayor's
ill-temper.

Mr Western had not spoken a word. All the while he gazed sternly at
Phil, as though he could not trust himself to speak, and he had landed
at the steps and was on his way home before he opened his lips.

"The mayor is right," he said bitterly. "Philip is a disgrace, and I
will not allow him to stay at home a single day longer than I can help.
I know an excellent institution where boys of his character can be urged
into obedience. He shall go there, and nothing shall persuade me to
remove him till he has changed utterly and completely."

"What! You would send Phil to a school for backward and incorrigible
boys?" exclaimed Joe Sweetman.

"Yes, that is exactly the class of institution I mean. I know of one
close to London, and will send him there, so that he may be tamed into
obedience."

"Then I tell you that you will do that boy a grievous wrong," cried Joe,
roused to anger by Edward Western's words. "Only boys of vicious nature
are sent to such schools. Of the backward ones I say nothing, for
Phil's wits are as ready as any boy's, and he is decidedly not a dunce.
Nor is he vicious, as you seem to think. For Heaven's sake look with a
more open mind at the matter. Here is a merry, good-hearted lad whom,
because he gets into mischief, you would pack off to a school for unruly
boys. I hope you will not insist on sending him to this place, for, as
I have said, he is not so bad as you think."

"Yes, I insist, Joseph, and no amount of argument will alter that
decision."

"Ah, I wish I had the power to compel you to do so!" said Joe bitterly.
"But perhaps it is all for the best. Such schools, no doubt, are much
as the others, save that a boy starts as it were with a black mark
against his name. Let us hope that the headmaster of the one in your
thoughts will see at a glance what sort of a lad he has in reality to
deal with, and treat him accordingly."

CHAPTER TWO.

OLD BUMBLE.

Mr Western was as good as his word, and wit