Then Oscar appeared on the scene, and after that came the colloquy we have already recorded, during which two facts were brought to light. One was that Oscar knew right where to look to find the person who had shot his favorite, and the other, that there was at least one boy in Eaton of whom the boastful Frank was afraid.
When Leon and his cousin resumed their walk toward home, their faces were very pale; but they soon recovered from their fright, and then, as a natural consequence, they began to get angry.
They had got themselves deeply in trouble that day; but, instead of being sorry for it, and making an honest resolve that they would do better in future, they became enraged at their luck, which had not served them a better turn.
Having no one else upon whom to vent their spite, they began abusing each other.
"If it hadn't been for Sam Hynes, that dog would have made bad work with us!" exclaimed Frank. "You came very near getting us into a pretty scrape by your miserable marksmanship. I wouldn't brag any more about my skill with a shot-gun, if I were in your place."
"That's a nice way for you to talk, isn't it?" retorted Leon. "Do I brag any more than you do? You said there wasn't a boy in town you were afraid of, and yet, when you saw that Sam Hynes was going to open that gate, you were in such a hurry to take back your words that you couldn't talk plainly."
The cousins, being in a very bad humor, continued to exchange such compliments as these until they arrived in sight of Mr. Parker's house.
Then they became silent, for they had other matters to think of.
What was going to happen when they got on the inside of that house?
They would have been glad if they could have found an excuse for postponing their entrance indefinitely; but, knowing that they must face the consequences of their folly sooner or later, they opened the gate without hesitation, mounted the steps, and entered the sitting room.