tment. He had no particular reason for liking Peleg Growdy any more
than the balance of the group; but the lesson of returning good for evil
had taken full possession of his soul.

Once he would have been only too ready to join in with his chums in
redressing what seemed to be a positive wrong; but somehow it was
different now.

Before he could speak, however, Jack had elbowed his way into the midst
of the excited lads, his face full of determination.

"Wait a bit, you fellows, before you decide what you're going to do.
I want to tell you something that ought to interest you."

"All right, Jack; speak up. Any objection to joining in with us and
having a little fun while we help a brother even up his score?" demanded
a voice.

Then Jack repeated as well as he was able the conversation that had taken
place at the breakfast table in his house. He went even further than
this, for it happened that he knew something about the old man's past.

"Peleg Growdy is a crabbed old chap, I admit; but perhaps you wouldn't
blame him so much if you knew the trouble he has had."

"What was that?" asked one boy.

"His wife and two children were burned to death when his house caught
fire many years ago. Another child grew up to be a man, and committed
some crime that made him run away. His last one, a daughter, was killed
in a railroad wreck. Ever since then the old man shuns people, and just
works as if he never wanted to know a living soul."

"That's tough, for a fact!" admitted one boy, slowly.

"But it don't excuse him for hating all boys. What business did he have
sitting there and taking two-thirds of the road, to let William upset in
the ditch trying to pass him?" demanded Jud, still rebelling.

"Oh! well, that's a rule of the road that isn't always carried out. For
instance, the loaded vehicle is generally given _more_ than its half; and
William admits he was going light, while the old man carried a heavy
load," said Jack.

"Yes, that's so," grunted William, unable to hold out against such logic.

"And perhaps, if he told the actual truth, William would admit that there
was room enough for him to pass, if he had been a little more careful!"

"Sure; but I was in a hurry, you understand; and didn't see that the edge
of the ditch was crumbly. But he laughed, I tell you, and that riled me!"

"And now you want to bring a dozen and more of your friends down on his
place to commit some prank that will make him dislike boys