“I s’pose I made some noise, for just as I had stepped out of the kitchen door, somebody ran out from the shed and tried to pass me.
“‘Who is it?’ I cried. But instead of answering me, the person swung at me and caught me in the shoulder with a blow that would have knocked me down had I not thrown my arms about him and hung on.”
As he made this statement, the crippled veteran paused. For several moments his auditors waited, thinking he would continue, but when he did not several of them asked:
“Did you see who it was?” “Could you get a look at his face?”
“Yes.”
“Who was it?”
“Pud Snooks!”
At the pronouncement of the bully’s name, cries of astonishment arose from the circle of men and women.
“Why didn’t you hold onto him?” demanded Mr. Martin.
“Because he shook me off.”