"Uncle Hogan--I expect you'd better write him. It was awful mean of
me, and I'm sorry, but he ought to know."

"Not this time, Toady. I am sure you will not forget again."

A great light of relief crept into the big, brown eyes, and Toady
answered with all the vim he could muster, "You are right, I won't."

CHAPTER VIII

BILLIARD RUNS AWAY

Billiard, white, scared, remorseful, had crept away up the mountainside
the minute he had seen Dr. Hayes bending beside the still form on the
kitchen floor, and remained in his retreat, watching the house with
frightened eyes, until the physician's bulky figure strode down the
path toward town again. Then, flinging himself face down in the
gravel, he sobbed in unrestrained relief, until, exhausted by the
strain of his recent fearful experience, he fell asleep in the shadow
of a ragged boulder, where late that afternoon Tabitha found him, after
a vain search about house and yard.

Surprised at having caught a glimpse of this unsuspected side of the
bully's character, she beat a hasty retreat, and with the tact of a
diplomat, sent one of the younger girls in quest of him, feeling that
he might resent being awakened by her while the trace of tears still
showed on his face. Nor was she mistaken in this surmisal, for the
instant the boy's eyes unclosed in response to Susie's energetic
shaking, he demanded, "Does Tabitha--know where I am?"

"She wouldn't have set the rest of us to hunting if she had, would she?"

"Well, 'tain't necessary for you to tell her I was asleep. The sun was
so hot it made my head ache, and I guess it has burned my face to a
blister," cautiously touching his puffed, smarting cheeks.

Susie eyed the swollen lids and scarlet visage suspiciously, but for
once held her tongue, only announcing briefly as she started on a trot
down the trail, "We're waiting supper for you."

"Well, you needn't for I'm not hungry. Tell Tabitha I don't want
anything to eat. I am going to bed. My head aches."

"All right," retorted Susie, too cheerfully, he thought with bitterness
in his heart, as he followed her nimble feet toward the house. He had
hoped she would at least express some sympathy for his aching head; but
what did she care? What did anyone care about him? Morosely he
shambled along behind his agile cousin; but instead of entering the
kitchen, which was of necessity also the dining-room, he chose the
front door, and quietly sought the room where