look at
him, right under the clover there by that stone. Look at his poor little
eyes all burned out, you cruel fellow!"

Not a little dumbfounded by this blast of indignation, thus suddenly let
loose upon us, we drew near and examined the crouching chuck. It was
really a rueful spectacle,--the disabled and trembling creature trying
in vain to see where its enemies were gathered about it.

"I didn't think you were such a cruel boy!" exclaimed Catherine,
sarcastically. "Alf Batchelder might do such a thing. He is hateful
enough always. But I didn't think it of you."

"Well, I shot at him," exclaimed Addison. "I thought I had killed him,
you know."

"Oh yes, you did think, did you!" cried Catherine. "How would you like
to have some one come along to your door or your chamber window, and
speak to you to come out; and then when you stepped to the door to see
what was wanted, to have them fire powder in your face and burn your
eyes out! How would you like that?"

"I don't think I would like it," replied Addison, laughing.

"Now I wouldn't laugh," said Theodora, whose feelings, indeed, had been
wrought upon to the point of tears as she watched the blinded creature.
"You ought not to have such a hard heart. I didn't think you had, once,"
she added reproachfully.

"Oh, he is just like all the rest of the boys," exclaimed Kate. "No, he
isn't," said Theodora, wiping her eyes.

"They are all alike," persisted Kate. "Always killing and torturing
something."

"And all the girls are little saints," mimicked Halse.

"Oh, I'm not speaking to you!" cried Kate. "You're the Alf Batchelder
sort. But I'm ashamed of Addison, to treat any creature in that way!"

In short, those girls read us a dreadful lecture; they berated us hot
and heavy. If we attempted to reply and defend ourselves, they only
lashed us the harder.

"Well, well," said Addison at length, picking up a club. "I'll put the
creature out of its misery, so that at least it will not be caught and
worried by dogs."

"You sha'n't! You sha'n't kill the poor thing!" cried Ellen; and then
finding that Addison was about to do so, they all turned and ran away,
without looking back.

Halstead was inclined to make light of the matter, and ridiculed the
girls, but Addison did not say much about it. I think he felt
conscience-smitten, and I never knew him to attempt to shoot a
wood-chuck in that way afterwards.

CHAPTER XVII

HAYING TIME

It was the custom at