e his temper, and this at present
gave him the advantage over John.

"You are too excited to know what you are talking about," he said
coolly. "Pomp, why has he tied you up?"

Pomp explained that John had tried to get his pail from him. He closed
by imploring "Mass' Frank" to prevent John from whipping him.

"He shall not whip you, Pomp," said Frank quietly. As he spoke he
stepped to the tree and faced John intrepidly.

John, in a moment of less passion, would not have ventured to attack a
boy so near his own size. Like all bullies, he was essentially a coward,
but now his rage got the better of his prudence.

"I'll flog you both!" he exclaimed hoarsely, and sprang forward with
upraised stick.

Frank was about half a head shorter than John, and was more than a year
younger, but he was stout and compactly built; besides, he was cool and
collected, and this is always an advantage.

Before John realized what had happened, his stick had flown from his
hand, and he was forcibly pushed back, so that he narrowly escaped
falling to the ground.

"Gib it to him, Mass' Frank!" shouted little Pomp. "Gib it to him!"

This increased John's exasperation. By this time he was almost foaming
at the mouth.

"I'll kill you, Frank Frost," he exclaimed, this time rushing at him
without a stick.

Frank had been in the habit of wrestling for sport with the boys of his
own size. In this way he had acquired a certain amount of dexterity in
"tripping up." John, on the contrary, was unpractised. His quick temper
was so easily roused that other boys had declined engaging in friendly
contests with him, knowing that in most cases they would degenerate into
a fight.

John rushed forward, and attempted to throw Frank by the strength of his
arms alone. Frank eluded his grasp, and, getting one of his legs around
John's, with a quick movement tripped him up. He fell heavily upon his
back.

"This is all foolish, John," said Frank, bending over his fallen foe.
"What are you fighting for? The privilege of savagely whipping a poor
little fellow less than half your age?"

"I care more about whipping you, a cursed sight!" said John, taking
advantage of Frank's withdrawing his pressure to spring to his feet.
"You first, and him afterward!"

Again he threw himself upon Frank; but again coolness and practice
prevailed against blind fury and untaught strength, and again he lay
prostrate.

By this time Pomp had freed himself from the string tha