"Oh! we all know who did it, never fear!" cried Joe Clausin.
"He spells his name T-e-d!" echoed Bobolink.
"All right. Because some bad boys played that joke on old Growdy he seems to have it in for every mother's son in Stanhope. I met him on the road this afternoon when I was out with a light wagon after some feed. He was on the way to town to deliver a big load of truck. Everybody's entitled to half the road; ain't that the law, fellers?"
"Sure it is, William; but that mean man wouldn't budge for you, hey?" said Jud.
"Not for an inch. Just hauled up there taking two-thirds of the road, and started to light his pipe. I was in a hurry to get along, and thought I could just squeeze by; but I made a mistake, and my wagon got upset in the ditch. He went on, grinning at my trouble, and never offering to raise a hand to help me out."
Exclamations of indignation arose on all sides.
"He needs another lesson, boys!"
"Say the word, William, and we're with you. Guess I might think up a few ways for you to get even with the old skinflint!"
Paul saw that they were rapidly being swayed by their feelings of natural resentment. He had no particular reason for liking Peleg Growdy any more than the balance of the group; but the lesson of returning good for evil had taken full possession of his soul.
Once he would have been only too ready to join in with his chums in redressing what seemed to be a positive wrong; but somehow it was different now.