The boys then began to venture more boldly into imitations of Steve’s speech while some got behind him and doubled up in silent laughter. Raymond looked on, feeling himself the hero of the day in having furnished such a comedy.
Suddenly Steve turned, perhaps with some intuition of what was going on, and with swift comprehension knew that he was being made fun of. His face on 85 the instant was electrified with wrath. He drew himself up, and clenched his hands. Then in a twinkling his coat and cap were upon the ground. Taking the first boy at hand Steve dealt him a blow from the shoulder with a lean, sinewy arm that sent him spinning across the yard, and before any one could realize what was happening three or four others followed, and the rest, frightened at his fury, took to their heels with speed.
Steve stood alone at last quivering from head to foot; then calming slowly, he took his coat on his arm, put on his cap and walked away, not knowing whither he was going. But as he grew more quiet he took his bearings, and his keen sense of direction and good recollection of things they had passed in going, led him without trouble back to Mr. Polk’s rooms.
Raymond was not a cad, and when he had time to think was thoroughly ashamed of himself. He went to the teacher and made confession; then as both were afraid the boy might get lost or come to some harm, he went at once on a search. He did not dream that Steve could so directly find his way back, and Raymond wandered about for hours in a fruitless search, doing without his dinner. At last, frightened and contrite, he went to Mr. Polk’s office. Here the confession was harder to make, but it came out in 86 all its humiliating details. Having eased his conscience he wound up with a burst of enthusiasm: “I tell you, Mr. Polk, Steve’s got the stuff in him. There isn’t a fellow in school but thinks he is fine. We didn’t mean a thing by our fun, but he served us just right, and every fellow wants to take his paw.”
Mr. Polk said little but sending Raymond home and promising to telephone later, he went directly to his rooms, knowing Steve’s keenly intuitive mind better than Raymond. Though anxious until it was proven true, Mr. Polk found Steve as he had expected, seated in his rooms when he got there. But he saw a most dejected little figure. The new clothes were laid aside, the old mountain things were on, and the boy’s face was drawn and white, though he fronted Mr. Polk sturdily.
“I don’t belong in no town. I ain’t got no town ways. I’ll jes’ go back to Hollow Hut and stay thar.”
Mr. Polk put his arm about the boy and gently drew him to a seat. For some moments there was silence.
“Steve,” he said at last, “did the trip over the mountains from Hollow Hut to Mr. Follet’s sometimes seem hard for you?”
“Hit shore did,” said the boy slowly.