s black
curly head sheepishly.

"What d'ye want?" he called.

"Come here," said Donald quietly, and Neil obeyed; he knew that
whatever judgment was to be meted out to him, Don would see that he got
justice. "Mr. Egerton and Mr. Watson have something to say to you."

The culprit's bright eyes took on a look of alarm; he wriggled his
small bare toes in the dead leaves.

Donald pushed him towards the minister half mockingly. "Here," he said
with suspicious gravity, "you must judge this grave matter for
yourself."

John Egerton's sensitive face flushed hotly. He felt himself to be in
an extremely ludicrous position, Mr. Watson stood in the background
ready to second anything he might say, but very glad to be able to take
a subordinate position in the affair, and Donald leaned back against a
tree and looked upon the little scene with an extravagant solemnity
which was maddening.

At that moment the young clergyman would have enjoyed turning upon the
insolent fellow standing there with his arms folded so evidently
enjoying his discomfiture and thrashing him soundly, had he been able
to find an excuse. Unhappily he had none, however, and his wrath all
burst forth upon the boy.

"What did you mean by breaking up Mr. Watson's procession and leading
all the boys away?" he demanded hotly.

Neil's inbred reverence for the cloth had suffered somewhat under Mr.
Egerton's efforts to teach him to sing, so he answered promptly, "I
never! I jist cut off with the other fellows."

The minister's temper was fast slipping from his control. "Don't dare
to tell me that!" he cried, snatching the boy's arm. "You know you
planned this disgraceful affair!"

But the lad had darted a glance at his brother, and the keen instinct
of childhood had perceived that Donald was not in league with his
judges. So he looked up into the minister's face and said with
incisive impudence, "It's a lie!"

John Egerton might have restrained his rage even then, had he not again
caught the gleam of laughter in Donald's eyes. The double insult was
too much. He promptly caught the saucy boy a sounding box upon the ear
which sent him sprawling upon the ground.

The next instant Donald was in front of him. "Try something nearer
your own size, you coward!" he was saying, and barely giving his
opponent time to prepare, he planted a blow right between the
minister's eyes and sent him reeling back against a tree.

He was up and at Donald in an inst