Danny looked up from his nervous fingering of the judge's paper-weight.

"I meant that it was for my country," he answered simply.

The dark-eyed man glanced at the others.

"Beat that," he said in a low tone to them.

Judge Sledge took down his spectacles from his bald head, adjusted them on his nose, and looked hard at the boy.

"Proceed," he commanded, after a moment.

Danny proceeded.

"Weren't you afraid to crawl into that cave?" one of them asked in the course of the story.

"Yes, sir," said Danny.

Later, another interrupted with: