eard
your name spoken, and in an angry voice; so I just raised my head a
little to take a peep. Who should I see standing near by but that big
bully, Nick Lang, and his faithful shadow, Leon Disney."

Thad dug his elbow into Hugh's short ribs as if to emphasize the remark
just made by Limpy Wallace. When two such arch schemers as Nick and
Leon got off by themselves, and were seen to have their heads together,
the chances were there must be some mischief afloat.

"Well, after that I just lay still and listened, because I felt sure
they must be getting up some sort of a game to play even with you,
Hugh, because you gave Nick such a beautiful trouncing the other night,
so I was told. It was hard luck that I could only catch a word now and
then, for some of the boys were calling out to each other; and that
silly clown, Claude Hastings, had begun to sing one of his comic songs,
while he capered around like a baboon. But I did hear Nick say the
words: 'Get even,' 'show him who's who in this burgh,' and 'Belgian
hares.' Do they put you wise to anything, Hugh?"

"I should say they did, Limpy!" ejaculated the impetuous Thad, even
before Hugh could speak the first word in reply. "Why, who's got prize
Belgian hares in Scranton but Hugh Morgan? Now, that cunning old
schemer, Nick Lang, knows how much Hugh thinks of his pets, and the
chances are ten to one he's hatched up a scheme to steal or kill every
lasting one of the rabbits. It would be just like him. Hugh, of
course you'll be forewarned, and take the necessary precautions to nip
his little plot in the bud."

Hugh himself looked serious. A slight frown could be seen on his
usually calm and reposeful face.

"I could stand almost any attempted injury to myself a lot better than
having my poor dumb pets made the object of revenge," he went on to
say, soberly. "Limpy, this is certainly news you've brought me. I'm a
thousand times obliged to you for taking the trouble."

"Oh! not at all, Hugh. Why, there's nothing I wouldn't do to help pay
back all your kindness to me in the past. Some people think a lame boy
has no feelings, but you've never considered it so; you've always acted
as if you felt mighty sorry for a boy so badly afflicted. And I can
never forget how you shamed Pete Garinger into begging my pardon for
something mean he threw at me. All I hope is that you catch those curs
in the act, and give them what they deserve, if they really try to hurt
your