"Now, sir," said Mr. Parlin, after a dozen hearty lashes, "shall I ever
hear of your getting drunk again?"

"Why, father! I didn't--O, I didn't! I only took some cider--just two
mugfuls!" gasped Willy; "that's all; and you know you always _let_ me
drink cider."

"Two mugfuls!" groaned Mr. Parlin, distressed at what he considered a
wilful lie; and the blows fell heavier and faster, while Willy's face
whitened, and his teeth shut together hard. Mr. Parlin had never acted
from purer motives; still Willy felt that the punishment was not just,
and it only served to call up what the boys termed his "Indian sulks."

Angry and smarting with pain in mind and body, he walked off that
afternoon to the old red store. Fred was sitting under a tree, chewing
gum.

"Had to take it, I guess, Billy?"

"Yes, an awful whipping," replied Willy; "did you?"

"Me? Of course not. Do you know how I work it? When father takes down
the cowhide, I look him right in the eye, and that scares him out of it.
He _darsn't_ flog me!"

This was a downright lie. Fred was as great a coward as ever lived, and
screamed at sight of a cowhide. He had been whipped for cheating about
the cider, but would not tell Willy so.

Willy looked at him with surprise and something like respect. He could
never seem to learn that Freddy's word was not to be trusted.

"Well, I'll do so next time," cried he, his eyes flashing fire.

"Look here," said Fred, crossing his knees, and looking important;
"let's run away."

"Why, Fred Chase! 'Twould be wicked!"

"'Twouldn't, either. Things ain't wicked when folks don't catch you at
it; and we can go where folks won't catch us, now I promise you."

Willy's heart leaped up with a strange joy. He would not run away, but
if Fred had a plan he wanted to hear it.

"Why, where could we go?"

"To sea."

"Poh! our Caleb got flogged going to sea."

"O, well, Captain Cutter never flogs. He's a nice man,--lives down to
Casco Bay. And of all the oranges that ever you saw, and the guava
jelly, and the pine-apples! he's always sending them to mother."

"I never ate a pine-apple."

"Didn't you? Well, come, let's go; Captain Cutter will be real glad to
see us; come, to-night; he'll treat us first rate."

"'My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.'"

It seemed as if Willy could hear his mother saying the words.

"You and I are the best kind of friends, Willy. We'd have a real nice
time, and come home when we got r