"No, sir."
"So I thought. Then you have no excuse by your own confession."
"I think I have an excuse."
"I fail to understand what it can be. To me it appears like a high-handed outrage of which you were guilty."
"I suppose James did not tell you what he was doing when I attacked him?"
"No, I cannot remember that he did. What does that signify?"
"He had John Downie upon the ground, and was beating him brutally."
Squire Collins was somewhat nonplussed at this revelation, as James had said nothing about Johnny.
"Well?" he said.
"I ran up, and pulled him off, and prevented him from hurting Johnny."