ce entertained some fear that Robert would
execute his threat and kill him, for though he often laid his hand on
the slender cane as if he would like to use it on the boy, he had thus
far refrained; but a crisis was coming. Price not only entertained an
aversion to Robert, but disliked Rebecca. She shrank from him in a way
that increased the dislike, although he made some efforts to reconcile
her to him.

One day, a year and a half after his marriage, he accosted the child,
and she, shrinking with dread, failed to do his bidding. He boxed her
ears, and she cried out with pain.

That scream roused Robert, and he flew tooth and nail at the stepfather.
Hugh Price, unprepared for this violent attack, shook the lad off, held
him at arm's length for a moment and said:

"I may as well do it now as ever."

Robert was in a maze, and to him it seemed a dream. His mother was
weeping and imploring, his sister screaming, and the faithful slave
Dinah howling. As Price took him toward the door, his mother ran toward
them; but the husband angrily raised his disengaged hand and growled:

"Dorothe, you are a perfect fool!"

Robert saw her stop her ears, then heard her crying, as he was led
slowly and gravely to his room. The supreme moment had arrived when Mr.
Hugh Price was to glut his vengeance. Price was delighted with this
formal parade to the execution of justice, for he had made up his mind
to conquer the lad's spirit or break it, and when Robert's room was
reached, he suddenly twisted his head under his arm, saying:

"The moment has arrived, Robert, when I must convince you that I am
master of the house."

"Mr. Price, beware! Pray don't beat me, it will only make matters worse.
I could not see you strike my sister; but if you will not beat us, we
will try to obey you in the future."

"No, no, indeed, Robert!" he answered. "The time has come to convince
you that I am master."

He held the boy's arm until it ached with pain, but Robert continued to
gaze in his face and implore him for the sake of the future not to
strike him. The stepfather was in a rage, and at that moment little
cared what he roused in the breast of the boy. Heedless of his pleading,
he raised his slender cane and struck at him, but the active lad dodged
the blow and caught his arm with his sharp teeth.

It now became a fight to the finish. Hugh Price was enraged and struck
fast and furious. Above the din of the combatants in the room, the
angry, sma