le
things for Ham when her Ben returned; but Joel was consoling himself with
his bottle again and was not in the least disturbed, and a minute later
the school was plunged in a studious silence.

Peterson and Cann called late in the afternoon, as representatives of the
School Committee.

'We've come fer your permission to ask some questions of the boy Haddon,
Mr. Ham, sir,' said Peterson.

Joel received a great show of respect from most of the men of Waddy in
consideration of his position and scholarship.

Dick was called out and faced the men, firm-lipped and with unconquerable
resolution in the set of his face and the gleam of his eye.

''Bout this job o' goat-stealin'?' said Cann, with a grave judicial air.

'They stole my billy. I went to fetch him back, an' all the other goats
come too,' Dick answered.

'Who helped?'

'Just a dog--a sheep an' cattle dog.'

'What boys?'

'Dunno !'

The examination might as well have ended there. It is a point of honour
amongst all schoolboys never to 'split' on mates. The boy who tells is
everywhere regarded as a sneak--at Waddy he speedily became a pariah--and
Dick was a stickler for points of honour. To be caned was bad, but
nothing to the gnawing shame of long weeks following upon a cowardly
breach of faith. To all the questions Cann or Peterson could put with the
object of eliciting the names of the participators in the big raid, Dick
returned only a distressing and wofully stupid 'Dunno!

Peterson scratched his head helplessly, and turned an eye of appeal upon
the master.

'Very well,' said Cann, 'we'll just have to guess at the other boys, an'
their fathers'll be prevailed on to deal with 'em; but this boy what's
been the ring leader ain't got no father, an' it don't seem fair to the
others to leave his punishment to a weak woman, does it?'

Peterson's eye appealed to the master again. 'Not fair an' square to the
other boys,' he added philosophically.

Joel Ham shook his head.

'I teach your children,' he said. 'I neither hang nor flagellate your
criminals.'

'No, no, a-course not,' said Peterson.

'Might you be able to spare us this boy fer the rest o' the afternoon, in
the name o' the committee?' asked Cann. 'We'll go an' argue with his
mother to leave the lickin' of him to the committee.'

'As a question o' public interest,' said Peterson.

The master consented to this, and Dick was led away between the two men.
The interview with Mrs. Haddon took