laimed Frank. "Hep! Hep! Left!
Left!" and they started off at a good pace.

They reached the country road that led more directly to Churchtown, and
swung off along this. The setting sun made a golden aurora that June
day, the beams filtering through a haze of dust. The boys talked of many
things, but chiefly of the coming parting--of the colleges they might
attend.

As they passed a farmhouse near the side of the road, and came into view
of the barnyard, they saw two men standing beside a team of horses
hitched to a heavy wagon. One was tall and heavily built, evidently the
farmer-owner. The other was a young man, of about twenty-two years, his
left arm in a sling.

The boys would have passed on with only a momentary glance at the pair
but for something that occurred as they came opposite. They saw the big
man raise a horse-whip and lash savagely at the young man.

The lash cracked like the shot of a revolver.

"I'll teach you!" fairly roared the big man. "I'll teach you to soldier
on me! Playin' off, that's what you are, Link Bardon! Playing off!"

"I'm not playing off! My arm is injured. And don't you strike me again,
Mr. Snad, or I'll----"

"You will, eh?" burst out the other. "You'll threaten me, will you?
Well, I'll teach you! Tryin' to pretend your arm is sprained so you
won't have to work. I'll teach you! Take that!"

Again the cruel whip came down with stinging force. The face of the
young man, that had flamed with righteous anger, went pale.

"Take that, you lazy, good-for-nothing!"

Again the whip descended, and the young man put up his uninjured arm to
defend himself. The farmer rained blow after blow on his hired man,
driving him toward a fence.

"Fellows! I can't stand this!" exclaimed Andy Blair, with sudden energy.
"That big brute is a coward! Are you with me?"

"We sure are!" came in an energetic chorus from the others.

"Then come on!" cried Andy, and with a short run he cleared the fence
and dashed up toward the farmer, who was still lashing away with the
horse-whip.

CHAPTER II

GOOD SAMARITANS

"Here! Quit that!" exclaimed Andy, panting a bit from his exertion.
"Drop that whip!"

The farmer wheeled around, for Andy had come up behind him. Surprise and
anger showed plainly on the man's flushed face, and blazed from his
blood-shot eyes.

"Wha--what!" he stammered in amazement.

"I said quit it!" came in resolute tones from Andy. "Don't you hit him
any more! You ought t