Frank stopped their questions with a word.
“Let me tend to this, please, Father.”
Little by little he extracted the trio’s version of the day’s happenings.
He turned to the Irish boys. “Is that straight?” he demanded.
At first the lads maintained a sullen silence, but finally Pat volunteered.
“They don’t own that ’ere pond any more’n we do.”
“Who said they did?” asked Frank quickly.
“Nobody,” admitted Pat, “but they allus act like they did. They told us to keep off the north end.”
“How is that Ernest?”
“Well, we didn’t want them mixing up with us.”