ng business, trying to thrash a
boy who has done us no harm."

"That's my opinion," said another.

"And I, for one, wish I had kept out of this scrape," said a third.

"So do I," said the one who had first spoken.

"Oh, you begin to back down, do you, you cowards?" exclaimed Charles,
who was taken completely by surprise by this sudden change of
affairs. "_I_ never give up till I am whipped. If it hadn't been for
my lame hand, I would have knocked some of those fellows into cocked
hats. I'll fix that Frank Nelson, the next time I catch him."

"Why didn't you do it to-night?" inquired one of the boys, sneeringly.

"I've got a lame hand, I tell you," roared the bully; "and I don't
want you to speak to me in that way again; if you do, you and I will
have a meeting."

"That would be an unpleasant job for you, to say the least," said one
of the boys; "the most of us are heartily sick of your company, and we
have been talking, for two or three days, of sending in our
resignations. Now, boys," he continued, "this is as good an
opportunity as we shall have; so those that won't have any thing more
to do with Regulating, say 'I!'"

"I! I!" burst from a score of throats.

"Now," he resumed, turning to Charles, "good-by; and, if you ever wish
to recruit another company, you need not call on any of us."

So saying, he walked off, followed by nearly all the Regulators; those
who remained were Frank's enemies and rivals.

"Well, boys," said Charles, as soon as the others had gone, "there are
a few of us left, and we can annoy the fellows who think they are too
good to associate with us in the worst way. Let us adjourn to our
barn, where we can talk the matter over."

A few moments' walk brought them to Mr. Morgan's house, and, when they
entered the long carriage-way that led up to the barn, Charles said,

"Now, boys, you stay here, and I'll go in and get a light."

He ran into the house, and soon reappeared with a lantern in each
hand, and led the way toward the barn. He unlocked the door, and he
and his companions entered; and, after allowing them time to examine,
to their satisfaction, the splendid equipage that had attracted so
much attention the morning they arrived at the village, Charles
proceeded to call the meeting to order.

"Now, boys," said he, "we don't intend to disband, do we?"

"No," answered several.

"Then, the first thing for us to do is to change our name, for we
don't want to let those cowardly