Joe bent over, and taking the fish one by one from the little pool of water where he had placed them, he tossed them lightly into the lake. He came to one that, badly wounded, was floating on its side. “’Taint any use throwing that one back,” he said. “It’s--” “Throw it back!” was the stern command. Joe threw it back. When this task was completed, Mr. Gaston said,-- “Have you got your knife in your pocket, Joseph?” “Yes, sir.” “Cut me a whip, then,--a beech one; you’ll find a good one on that sapling.” Joe took his knife and cut from the sapling indicated a long, slender branch. He trimmed it and gave it to his father. He well knew the use to which it was to be put; and although his spirit rebelled, though he felt that he did not really deserve the punishment, he obeyed without a word. “Joseph,” said his father, “do you remember my warning you last week not to go fishing again without my permission, and my telling you that if you did, I should whip you?” “Yes, sir.” “Well, I suppose you expect me to keep my word?” Joe said nothing. Mr. Gaston stood for another moment in anxious thought. He did not wish to whip the boy, surely. Though he was outwardly a cold man, he had all a father’s affection for Joe; but would he not fail of his duty if he did not punish him for his disobedience? “Joseph,” he said, “can you think of any better remedy than whipping?” “Yes, sir.” “What is it?” “Well, if you’d just _let_ me go fishing once in a while,--say Saturday afternoons,--I’d never think of running away to go,--never.” “That is, if I allow you to do what you choose, you won’t be disobeying me when you do it? Is that the idea?” “Yes, sir, something like that.” Joe felt that there was a difference, however, but he could not at that moment explain it. Besides, he wished to take the opportunity to air other grievances, of which heretofore he had never ventured to speak. “I don’t have privileges like other boys, anyway,” he continued. “Tom Brown don’t have to work every day in the week, and he can go to town every Saturday if he wants to, and go to fairs, and have pocket-money to spend; and I don’t have anything, not even when I earn it. And Mr. Dolliver lets his Jim take his horse and go riding whenever he feels like it; but I aint allowed to go anywhere, nor do anything that other boys do!” Joe paused, breathless and in much excitement. Mr. Gaston said, “It’s your duty to obey your parents, no matter if they can’t give you all the pleasures that some other boys have. You are not yet old enough to set up your judgment against ours. We must govern you as we think best.” Again there was a minute’s silence. Then the father said, “Joseph, I had intended to whip you; but it’s a hard and unpleasant duty, and I’m inclined to try you once more without it, if you’ll apologize and make a new promise not to go fishing again without my permission.” “I’ll apologize,” replied Joe, “but I won’t promise.” “Why not?”