"We were only cutting across his lot, when he came out and chased us, swearin' awful. I got away, but he's got poor Jimmy, and he's going to horsewhip him," and the poor boy burst into terrified tears.
Robert afterwards learned that this Tarbox was a rough, tyrannical old farmer, noted for his bad temper, who appeared to cherish a special antipathy to boys. There was a footpath around his field, which considerably lessened the distance to the main road for some of his neighbors, but in the ugliness of his disposition he forbade it to be used. Men he did not venture to attack, but woe betide the boy who ventured to enter his enclosure.
"Where is this Tarbox and your brother?" asked Anak.
The boy pointed to a house and lot a little farther on.
"We wouldn't have gone across-lots," he explained, "but mother was taken sick, and we got frightened and wanted to call the doctor as soon as we could, and we thought we might do it for once."
"Did you tell this man Tarbox the reason you went across his field?" asked Anak.
"Yes, but he said it was no excuse, and I am afraid he'll kill poor Jimmy."
The little boy fell to weeping again.
"There they are!" said Robert.