CHAPTER VI
MAN AGAINST BOY
As Robert, scarcely awake, looked into the threatening face of his uncle he felt that the crisis had come and that all his firmness and manliness were demanded.
Our hero was not disposed to rebel against just authority. He recognized that his uncle, poor as his guardianship was, had some claim to his obedience.
In any ordinary matter he would have unhesitatingly obeyed him. But, in the present instance, he felt that his aunt’s comfort depended, in a measure, upon his retention of the small amount of money which he was fortunate enough to possess.
Of course he had thought of all this before he went to sleep, and he had decided, in case his uncle heard of his good luck, to keep the money at all hazards.
For a minute he remained silent, meeting calmly the angry and impatient glance of his uncle.
“Give me that money, I tell you!” demanded the fisherman with thickened utterance.
“I haven’t got any money of yours, Uncle John,” said Robert, now forced to say something.
“You lie, boy! You’ve got a dollar and forty-two cents.”