why it always seemed to go just as
fast as the team.

He was awakened by a series of wild yells, the snapping of whips and the
furious rush of horses. It was another team filled with harvesters
trying to pass, and not succeeding. The fellows in the other wagon
hooted and howled and cracked the whip, but Al's little bays kept them
behind until Lime protested, "Oh, let 'em go, Al," and then with a shout
of glee the team went by and left them in a cloud of dust.

"Say, boys," said Bill, "that was Pat Sheehan and the Nagle boys.
They've turned off; they're goin' down to Hank's. Let's go too. Come on,
fellers, what d'you say? I'm allfired dry. Ain't you?"

"I'm willun'," said Frank Rice; "what d'you say, Lime?" John looked up
into Lime's face and said to him, in a low voice, "Let's go home; that
was Steve a-drivin'." Lime nodded and made a sign to John to keep still,
but John saw his head lift. He had heard and recognized Steve's voice.

"It was Pat Sheehan, sure," repeated Bill, "an' I shouldn't wonder if
the others was the Nagle boys and Eth Cole."

"Yes, it was Steve," said Al. "I saw his old hat as he went by."

It was perfectly intelligible to Lime that they were all anxious to
have a meeting between Steve and himself. Johnny saw also that if Lime
refused to go to the brewery he would be called a coward. Bill would
tell it all over the neighborhood, and his hero would be shamed. At last
Lime nodded his head in consent and Al turned off into the river road.

When they drew up at the brewery by the river the other fellows had all
entered and the door was shut. There were two or three other teams
hitched about under the trees. The men sprang out and Bill danced a jig
in anticipation of the fun to follow. "If Steve starts to lam Lime
there'll be a circus."

As they stood for a moment before the door Al spoke to Lime about
Steve's probable attack. "I ain't goin' to hunt around for no row,"
replied Lime, placidly, "and I don't believe Steve is. You lads," he
said to the boys, "watch the team for a little while; cuddle down under
the blankets if you git cold. It ain't no place for you in the inside.
We won't stop long," he ended, cheerily.

The door opened and let out a dull red light, closed again, and all was
still except an occasional burst of laughter and noise of heavy feet
within. The scene made an indelible impress upon John, child though he
was. Fifty feet away the river sang over its shallows, broad and
whi