hreshold of the outer door; but Penrod seized him by the shoulders
and swung him indoors with a shout.

"Little baby wants to run home to its Mom-muh! Here he is, Rupie."

Thereupon was Penrod's treachery to an old comrade properly rewarded,
for as the two struggled, Rupe caught each by the back of the neck,
simultaneously, and, with creditable impartiality, forced both boys to
their knees.

"Lick dirt!" he commanded, forcing them still forward, until their faces
were close to the stable floor.

At this moment he received a real surprise. With a loud whack something
struck the back of his head, and, turning, he beheld Verman in the act
of lifting a piece of lath to strike again.

"Em moys ome!" said Verman, the Giant Killer.

"He tongue-tie'," Herman explained. "He say, let 'em boys alone."

Rupe addressed his host briefly:

"Chase them nigs out o' here!"

"Don' call me nig," said Herman. "I mine my own biznuss. You let 'em
boys alone."

Rupe strode across the still prostrate Sam, stepped upon Penrod, and,
equipping his countenance with the terrifying scowl and protruded jaw,
lowered his head to the level of Herman's.

"Nig, you'll be lucky if you leave here alive!" And he leaned forward
till his nose was within less than an inch of Herman's nose.

It could be felt that something awful was about to happen, and Penrod,
as he rose from the floor, suffered an unexpected twinge of apprehension
and remorse: he hoped that Rupe wouldn't REALLY hurt Herman. A sudden
dislike of Rupe and Rupe's ways rose within him, as he looked at the big
boy overwhelming the little darky with that ferocious scowl. Penrod,
all at once, felt sorry about something indefinable; and, with equal
vagueness, he felt foolish. "Come on, Rupe," he suggested, feebly, "let
Herman go, and let's us make our billies out of the rake handle."

The rake handle, however, was not available, if Rupe had inclined to
favour the suggestion. Verman had discarded his lath for the rake, which
he was at this moment lifting in the air.

"You ole black nigger," the fat-faced boy said venomously to Herman,
"I'm agoin' to----"

But he had allowed his nose to remain too long near Herman's.

Penrod's familiar nose had been as close with only a ticklish spinal
effect upon the not very remote descendant of Congo man-eaters. The
result produced by the glare of Rupe's unfamiliar eyes, and by
the dreadfully suggestive proximity of Rupe's unfamiliar nose, was
altog