"Wasn't Tony with him?"
"No."
"Are you sure of that? Are you sure you two boys didn't attack Tony and take the horse away?" demanded James, suspiciously.
"No, we didn't. If you don't believe me, you may ask Ben."
"How was it, Ben?" he asked.
"Just as Sam has said. We found the horse alone in the woods. We thought he might be stolen, and we brought him home. It was a good deal of trouble, for it's full two miles."
James looked from one to the other in perplexity.
"I don't understand it at all," he said. "It don't look like Tony to neglect his duty that way."
"You've got too high an opinion of that boy entirely," said Sam, sneeringly.