er would try to start
something," said Penny.

"Who is? Beaufort?"

[Illustration: "No, he won't!" exclaimed Clint, jumping to his feet]

"Yes, he's a sort of village bully. He's been in trouble two or three
times. His father has so much money 'Babe' thinks he's the whole thing
in Brimfield. He and Hatherton Williams had a row in front of the
post-office a couple of years ago and it took the whole police force to
separate them."

"What does the Brimfield police force consist of?" asked Clint with a
laugh. "One constable with a tin star?"

"Two," replied Penny, smiling. "We were sorry the cops butted in, for
Williams would have given him a fine licking, I guess. He's just the
sort of chap Dreer would naturally take up with."

"Listen!" commanded Clint. "They're coming back, I guess."

Someone was certainly approaching down the hill. Penny frowned.

"If it is they," said Clint anxiously, "don't have any words with them,
Durkin."

"Not me," replied Penny resolutely. "Can't afford to."

Just then Dreer and his friend came into sight. Clint watched hopefully.
They were headed straight down the slope and he was just going to lean
his head back against the rock again when Beaufort suddenly hunched his
shoulders and turned angrily toward Clint and Penny. "Here!" he
shouted. "What did you do that for?"

"Do what?" asked Clint in genuine surprise as Beaufort and Dreer, the
latter a good pace behind, strode toward them through the trees.

"You know what," replied "Babe" Beaufort with an ugly scowl that
increased his resemblance to a ferocious walrus. "You shied a stone at
me!" His eyes, however, fixed themselves on Penny.

"Shied a stone!" exclaimed Clint incredulously. "Why, we haven't moved.
Besides, there aren't any stones around here. And we couldn't have
thrown one through the trees if we'd tried."

"You keep out of this," said Beaufort. "When I want a lawyer I'll hire
one. This fellow here threw it and I saw him."

"Oh, no, you didn't," contradicted Clint, "for I was looking and your
head was turned away until you jumped. There wasn't any stone thrown,
and you know it. You're just trying to pick a scrap, Beaufort."

"Call me a liar, do you? I'll attend to you when I'm through with this
long-haired galoot!" Beaufort contemptuously kicked Penny's shoe.

"Get up and fight, you! You can't shy rocks at me and get away with it!"

Penny had so far said nothing, but, although there was a gravely amused
smile on