"That was the way of it, Beaufort?"
"Aw, find out," growled Beaufort. "I don't have to account to you for what I do."
"Keep a civil tongue, Beaufort," counselled Mr. Conklin, "or it may prove bad for you, my boy."
"You've been told before that you must keep off school property," said Mr. Daley, otherwise known as "Horace."
"I'm not on school property," replied Beaufort defiantly.
"You're not now, but you have been or you wouldn't be here. After this kindly remain away from the school entirely. We've had trouble with you before."
"Sure and you'll have more if you get gay," answered the other with a grin. "When anyone throws stones at my head he gets licked for it."
"Did you do that, Durkin?"
"No, sir," replied Penny quietly. "Thayer and I were lying under the rock here when those fellows came up the hill. They saw us and went on up. Then, pretty soon, they came down again and Beaufort pretended I'd thrown a stone at him and came over here and insisted on a scrap."
"Pretended you threw it? What for?"