that I had no
business to stop him if I could. Besides, the law is the law, and sport
is sport."

"I quite agree, Barry. Believe me, I quite agree. Yet all the same, a
chap does hate to have his shot spoiled, and to shout at a fellow with
his gun on a bird,--well, you'll excuse me, Barry, but it is hardly the
sporting thing."

"Sporting! Sporting!" said Barry. "I know that I hated to do it, but
it was right. Besides talk about 'sporting'--what about shooting out of
season?"

"Yes, yes. Well, we won't discuss it. Go on, Barry."

"But I don't like it, dad. I don't like to think that you don't approve
of what I do. It was a beastly hard thing to do, anyway. I had to make
myself do it. It was my duty." The young man sat looking anxiously at
his father.

"Well, my boy," said his father, "I may be wrong, but do you think you
are always called upon to remonstrate with every law breaker? No, listen
to me," he continued hurriedly. "What I mean is, must you or any of us
assume responsibility for every criminal in the land?"

Barry sat silent a moment, considering this proposition.

"I wish I knew, dad. You know, I have often said that to excuse myself
after I have funked a thing, and let something go by without speaking up
against it."

"Funked it!"

"Yes. Funked standing up for the right thing, you know."

"Funked it!" said his father again. "You wouldn't do that, Barry?"

"Oh, wouldn't I, though? I am afraid you don't know me very well, dad.
However, I rather think I had started him up before that, you know. You
won't like this either. But I may as well go through with it. You know,
he was swearing and cursing most awfully, just in his ordinary talk you
know, and that is a thing I can't stand, so I up and told him he was
using too many 'damns.'"

"You did, eh?" In spite of himself the father could not keep the
surprise out of his voice. "Well, that took some nerve, at any rate."

"There you are again, dad! You think I had no right to speak. But
somehow I can't help feeling I was right. For don't you see, it would
have seemed a bit like lowering the flag to have kept silent."

"Then for God's sake speak out, lad! I do not feel quite the same way as
you, but it is what you think yourself that must guide you. But go on,
go on."

"Well, I assure you he was in a proper rage, and if it hadn't been
for Bayne I believe he would have trimmed me to a peak, administered a
fitting castigation, I mean."

"He would, eh?