“Be off with you!” commanded Hiram. “You've plagued the girl enough.”
“Mind your business, Hi-ram-Lo-ram!” returned Dan, Junior, grabbing at Sister's hair again.
Hiram caught the younger boy by the shoulder and whirled him around.
“You run along to Mrs. Atterson, Sister,” he said, quietly. “No, you don't!” he added, gripping Dan, Junior, more firmly. “You'll stop right here.”
“Lemme be, Hi Strong!” bawled the other, when he found he could not easily jerk away. “It'll be the worse for you if you don't.”
“Just you wait until the girl is home,” returned Hiram, laughing. It was an easy matter for him to hold the writhing Dan, Junior.
“I'll fix you for this!” squalled the boy. “Wait till I tell my father.”
“You wouldn't dare tell your father the truth,” laughed Hi.
“I'll fix you,” repeated Dan, Junior, and suddenly aimed a vicious kick at his captor.
Had the kick landed where Dan, Junior, intended—under Hi's kneecap—the latter certainly would have been “fixed.” But the country youth was too agile for him.