"A monkey."
"A monkey?" shrieked Peace in real surprise. "Where did they get him?"
"I guess he b'longs to a hand-organ man. He's dressed in funny little pants and a red cap. Thad DePugh found him on his way to school and tried to catch him, but he run up the tree."
"And you stand there without saying a word and let them stone a poor little helpless monkey!"
"It don't b'long to me," muttered the child, angered by the indignant flash of the brown eyes and the scathing rebuke which seemed directed against her alone. "Anyway, I ain't stoning it."
"You ain't helping, either. Let me through here!" She pushed and elbowed her way into the midst of the throng and boldly confronted the ringleaders of the tormentors, screaming in protest, "Don't you throw another stone, you big bullies! Ain't you ashamed of yourself, trying to kill that poor little thing!"
"We ain't trying to kill it," retorted the nearest chap, pausing with his arm uplifted ready to pitch another pebble.
"You mind your own business!" growled another. "This monkey isn't yours. We're trying to make it come down so we can catch it."
"You'll quit throwing things at it, or I'll tell Miss Curtis."
"Tattle-tale, tattle-tale!" mocked the throng, and another handful of rocks flew up among the branches.