the calm way of the
law, regardless of the town's ferment of interest in the case.

The county attorney appeared for the prosecution, and old Judge Brown
and young Bradley Talcott defended Harold.

Bradley knew Harold very well and the boy had a high regard for him.
Lawyer Brown believed the boy to be a restless and dangerous spirit, but
he said to Bradley:

"I've no doubt the boy was provoked by Clint, who is a worthless bully,
but we must face the fact that young Excell bears a bad name. He has
been in trouble a great many times, and the prosecution will make much
of that. Our business is to show the extent of the provocation, and
secondly, to disprove, so far as we can, the popular conception of the
youth. I can get nothing out of him which will aid in his defense. He
refuses to talk. Unless we can wring the truth out of Slocum on the
stand it will go hard with the boy. I wish you'd see what you can do."

Bradley went down to see Harold, and the two spent a couple of hours
together. Bradley talked to him in plain and simple words, without any
assumption. His voice was kind and sincere, and Harold nearly wept under
its music, but he added very little to Bradley's knowledge of the
situation.

"He struck me with the whip, and then I--I can't remember much about
it, my mind was a kind of a red blur," Harold said at last desperately.

"Why did he strike you with the whip?"

"I told him he was a black-hearted liar."

"What made you say that to him?" persevered Bradley.

"Because that's what he was."

"Did he say something to you which you resented?"

"Yes--he did."

"What was it?"

Right there Harold closed his lips and Bradley took another tack.

"Harry, I want you to tell me something. Did you have anything to do
with killing Brownlow's dog?"

"No," replied Harold disdainfully.

"Did you have any hand in the raid on Brownlow's orchard a week later?"

"No; I was at home."

"Did your folks see you during the evening?"

"No; I was with Jack up in the attic, reading."

"You've taken a hand in _some_ of these things--raids--haven't you?"

"Yes, but I never tried to destroy things. It was all in fun."

"I understand. Well, now, Harold, you've got a worse name than belongs
to you, and I wish you'd just tell me the whole truth about this fight,
and we will do what we can to help you."

Harold's face grew sullen. "I don't care what they do with me. They're
all down on me anyway," he slowly said, and