As Reed stopped to take breath, Gordon exclaimed:—
“Well, I’d never have believed that of Crawford. I didn’t think he was that sort at all.”
“Oh, he loves horses,” broke in Freeman. “You ought to see him pet those ponies of his. I heard him say once, that his ponies were all the folks he had, for his nearest relative is a cousin that he hasn’t seen in ten years.”
A sudden silence followed Freeman’s words, and more than one boy’s thoughts flew to his own home and those who loved him there, and a new feeling of sympathy for Crawford was awakened.
“Section D should be proud of Crawford, to-day,” said Clark. “Let’s show him that we are.”
“So we will,” said one and another.
“But won’t Mr. Horton mark him off for breaking bounds?” said Dixon, as the bell sounded.
“Not he; trust Bobby to do the fair thing when he hears the story,” said Graham, and Reed added:—
“Bobby’s all right. Crawford asked me to tell him, and he said it would be all right.”