hen in a twinkling his coat and cap were
upon the ground. Taking the first boy at hand Steve dealt him a blow
from the shoulder with a lean, sinewy arm that sent him spinning
across the yard, and before any one could realize what was happening
three or four others followed, and the rest, frightened at his fury,
took to their heels with speed.

Steve stood alone at last quivering from head to foot; then calming
slowly, he took his coat on his arm, put on his cap and walked away,
not knowing whither he was going. But as he grew more quiet he took
his bearings, and his keen sense of direction and good recollection of
things they had passed in going, led him without trouble back to Mr.
Polk's rooms.

Raymond was not a cad, and when he had time to think was thoroughly
ashamed of himself. He went to the teacher and made confession; then
as both were afraid the boy might get lost or come to some harm, he
went at once on a search. He did not dream that Steve could so
directly find his way back, and Raymond wandered about for hours in a
fruitless search, doing without his dinner. At last, frightened and
contrite, he went to Mr. Polk's office. Here the confession was harder
to make, but it came out in all its humiliating details. Having eased
his conscience he wound up with a burst of enthusiasm: "I tell you,
Mr. Polk, Steve's got the stuff in him. There isn't a fellow in school
but thinks he is fine. We didn't mean a thing by our fun, but he
served us just right, and every fellow wants to take his paw."

Mr. Polk said little but sending Raymond home and promising to
telephone later, he went directly to his rooms, knowing Steve's keenly
intuitive mind better than Raymond. Though anxious until it was proven
true, Mr. Polk found Steve as he had expected, seated in his rooms
when he got there. But he saw a most dejected little figure. The new
clothes were laid aside, the old mountain things were on, and the
boy's face was drawn and white, though he fronted Mr. Polk sturdily.

"I don't belong in no town. I ain't got no town ways. I'll jes' go
back to Hollow Hut and stay thar."

Mr. Polk put his arm about the boy and gently drew him to a seat. For
some moments there was silence.

"Steve," he said at last, "did the trip over the mountains from Hollow
Hut to Mr. Follet's sometimes seem hard for you?"

"Hit shore did," said the boy slowly.

"But you didn't give up the struggle, did you?"

"No," said Steve, still slowly.

"We