"He did," answered Sidney, promptly.
"He called me a low upstart. I'll allow nobody to call me that," came from Fred, whose eyes were still flashing.
"Sidney, did you call Fred that?" demanded Mr. Yates. He was a fair-minded man and knew something of his son's disposition.
"No."
"And I say he did," retorted Fred. "He said the members of our baseball club were a lot of low upstarts. He is mad because we beat his club last Saturday."
Just then a man who had been standing back of a nearby lumber pile came forward.
"That lad speaks the truth," he said, pointing to Fred. "That boy taunted him with being a low upstart. I heard every word of the quarrel."
At this exposure Sidney gazed at his father for a moment and then hung his head.
"I'm ashamed of you, my son," said Mr. Yates. "You had no business to use such language."
"Well, they tricked us out of that game," whined Sidney.