"Suppose I did. You needn't have blurted it out."
"The deacon charged Mark Manning with it. I wasn't going to see him suffer for it when I saw you do it."
"You're a great friend of Mark Manning, it seems," said James, with a sneer.
"Yes, I am; but, even if I hadn't been, I would have told. His mother is poor, and couldn't afford to pay for the cow."
"She'll be poorer yet before long, I'm thinking," said James. "Do you know what I'm going to do to you?"
"Perhaps you'll tell me," said John Downie, calmly.
"I'm going to give you a licking."
"If I'll let you."
James laughed derisively; Johnny was two inches shorter than he, and so far as appearances went was not as strong. In a contest between the two, there was little doubt that James would come out the victor.
"I don't think you'll have much to say in the matter," said James. "Just move out of the way, Tom, and give me a chance at him."