injured his reputation, and he was angry at his companions because
he had done so--although how they could be blamed for that, it would
have puzzled a sensible boy to determine. But, after all, his case was
not an isolated one. It is by no means uncommon for boys, when they get
angry, to revenge themselves upon some innocent thing. We remember that,
on a certain rainy day, several boys were congregated in a barn, amusing
themselves by turning hand-springs. One clumsy fellow, whose feet were
so heavy that he could not get them over his head, became greatly
enraged at his failures, and finally tried to soothe his wounded pride
by whipping one of his companions.

Arthur was actuated by the same spirit. He walked up and down his room
for a long time, trying to make up his mind what he should do, and, when
he was called to breakfast, he had decided upon a plan of operations,
which promised to make Archie and his friends a great deal of trouble.

"I'll be revenged upon the whole lot of them at once," said Arthur, to
himself. "Upon Johnny Harris, for calling me a coward; upon Archie
Winters, for writing me that note--for I know he did it, although
Johnny's name does come last--and upon Frank Nelson, for being a friend
to those fellows, and for being so stuck up. He scarcely spoke to me
yesterday, and I won't stand such treatment from any boy. I'll teach
these backwoodsmen to insult a gentleman!"

"Well, Arthur," said Mr. Vane, as the boy seated himself at the table,
"you must have looked through a very badly-frightened pair of eyes, to
make a grizzly bear out of a wolf."

"Who told you it was a wolf?" asked Arthur, gruffly.

"One of Mr. Winters's herdsmen--Dick Lewis, I believe, they call him. He
came over this morning to bring your weapons and hat."

Dick despised a coward quite as much as he admired a boy of spirit and
courage, and it is certain that the story, as he had heard it from Frank
and Archie, lost nothing in passing through his hands. He first told it
to Mr. Vane, as he handed him the articles he had brought, and then
repeated it to one of the Rancheros; and, by the time Arthur had
finished his breakfast, the occurrences of the previous day were known
to every one on the rancho. Pedro laughed when he brought out Arthur's
horse, and the herdsmen, as he rode through their quarters, exchanged
winks with one another, and made a great many remarks about grizzly
bears, especially concerning the one Arthur had seen t