"I rather reckoned to find the others here," drawled the short-sighted youth, as, very carefully, he replaced the broken spectacles upon his nose. "We didn't agree. I guess they're on the road." "Is this"--Mr. Harland addressed his question to one of the other Masters Bindon--"is this your brother?" "I disown him," answered Rufus, on whom the principal's glance happened to fall. "I disown 'em all." "He is my brother," struck in the shrill piping treble of John F. Ernest, "though he is the meanest-minded boy that ever put on shoes." "I am not ashamed to admit," remarked John P. Arthur, still adjusting his broken spectacles, "that I appreciate the value of money. I have walked from Liverpool to save the charges." "You have walked from Liverpool?" "I understand it is a distance in the neighbourhood of one hundred and fifty miles. I have worn out a pair of boots. Still, I reckon I have saved better than half a dollar, net." Mr. Harland took John P. Arthur up into his study. There the young gentleman explained. "There was another row, so father decided to ship off three more of us. I rather think he must have forgotten to write, owing to the pressure of his business." "Does your father keep an orphanage?" John P. Arthur stared. "I never heard of it." "Did you say he had shipped off three more of you? May I ask, then, where are the other two?" "I left them at Liverpool. We didn't agree. I should calculate they're gone upon the burst. We each had twenty-five dollars and our fares." John P. Arthur slapped the inner pocket of his coat. "I've still got my twenty-five, besides half a dollar saved out of my fare." "May I ask the names of your two missing brothers?" "One is John A. Francis, and the other--I forget the other's name." It was Mr. Harland's turn to stare. "You forget your brother's name?" "There are such a lot of them that one gets mixed." "I quite concede that there do appear to be a lot of them, and that one may get mixed, but still--your brother's name! May I ask the ages of the young gentlemen whom you presume have gone upon the burst? About your own?" "I should say John A. Francis is younger than me. I fought him three times as we were crossing. I licked each time. He must be younger." "And the young gentleman whose name you don't happen to remember?" "He's older. He bangs me easy. Just picks me up and knocks me down. I reckon John G. William will find him pretty tough." While Mr. Harland had been talking to John P. Arthur he had been paying no attention to his letters. When he turned to them he found that among them there were two which threw some light upon the proceedings of the missing Masters Bindon. Here is the first: "The Barracks, Liverpool.