him!" cried Bob.

"No, no, you sit still," said Dan'l, holding him back with one hand.

The task was very easy. A baby could have held Bob, in spite of the
furious show of struggling that he made, while, on the other hand, Peter
sat grinning, and was compelled to pass one arm round Dexter, and clasp
his own wrist, so as to thoroughly imprison him, and keep him back.

"Better let 'em have it out, Dan'l," he cried. "My one's ready."

"Let me go. Let me get at him," shrieked Bob.

"Yes, let him go, Dan'l," cried Peter.

But Dan'l shook his head, and as Bob kept on struggling and uttering
threats, the old man turned upon him fiercely--

"Hold your tongue, will you?" he roared. "You so much as say another
word, and I'll make you fight it put."

Bob's jaw dropped, and he stared in astonishment at the fierce face
before him, reading therein so much determination to carry the threat
into effect that he subsided sulkily in his corner, and turned away his
face, for every time he glanced at the other end of the carriage it was
to see Peter grinning at him.

"Ah!" said Peter at last; "it's a good job for us as Dan'l held you
back. You made me shiver."

Bob scowled.

"He's thoroughbred game, he is, Dan'l."

Dan'l chuckled.

"He'd be a terrible chap when his monkey was up. Oh, I am glad. He'd
ha' been sure to win."

"Let him alone," growled Dan'l, with a low chuckling noise that sounded
something like the slow turning of a weak watchman's rattle; and then
muttering something about white-livered he subsided into his corner, and
solaced himself with his pipe.

Meanwhile Peter sat opposite, talking in a low tone to Dexter, and began
to ask him questions about his adventures, listening with the greatest
eagerness to the short answers he received, till Dexter looked up at him
piteously.

"Don't talk to me, please, Peter," he said. "I want to sit and think."

"And so you shall, my lad," said the groom; and he too took out a pipe,
and smoked till they reached Coleby.

Dexter shivered as he stepped out upon the platform. It seemed to him
that the stationmaster and porters were staring at him as the boy who
ran away, and he was looking round for a way of retreat, so as to escape
what was to come, when Sir James and the doctor came up to them.

"You can let that boy go," said the doctor to Dan'l.

"Let him go, sir?" cried the gardener, looking at both the gentlemen in
turn.

Sir James nodded.

Bob, whose