"They came hand in hand, and with no great show of fear or embarrassment. They had gotten off so many times before that they were perfectly confident of their power in this case to cajole the judge. But to their surprise he was all sternness and severity. "'Now look here,' he said, after expatiating on the cruel treatment which the dog had received. 'I want to know which one of you tied the can to Spot's tail?' "Robert Vaughan looked at Ben, and Ben looked back at him. Silence there, and nothing more. "'Do you hear my question?' old Fairfax asked with rising voice. "Robert Vaughan looked straight ahead of him, and Ben dug his big toe into the sand at the foot of the veranda, but neither answered. "'Robert Vaughan Fairfax,' said his father, 'who played that trick on Spot? Answer me, do you hear?' "The Fairfax heir seemed suddenly to have grown deaf and dumb, and the father turned to the black boy. His voice took on the tone of command which he had hardly used to his son. 'Who played that trick on Spot? Answer me, Ben.' "The little darky dug harder and harder into the sand, and flashed a furtive glance from under his brows at his fellow-conspirator. Then he drawled out, 'I done it.' "'You didn't,' came back the instant retort from his young master, 'I did it myself.' "'I done it,' repeated Ben, and 'You didn't,' reiterated his young master. "The father sat and looked on at the dispute, and his mouth twitched suspiciously, but he spoke up sternly. 'Well, if I can't get the truth out of you this way, I'll try some other plan. Mandy,' he hailed a servant, 'put these boys on a diet of bread and water until they are ready to answer my questions truthfully.' "The culprits were led away to their punishment. Of course it would have just been meat to Mandy to have stolen something to the youngsters, but her master kept such a close eye upon her that she couldn't, and when brought back at the end of three hours, their fare had left the prisoners rather hungry. But they had evidently disputed the matter between themselves, and from the cloud on their faces when they reappeared before their stern judge, it was still unsettled. "To the repetition of the question, Vaughan answered again, 'I did it,' and then his father tried Ben again. "After several efforts, and an imploring glance at his boy master, the little black stammered out: "'Well, I reckon--I reckon, Mas,' me an' Mas' Vaughan, we done it in cahoots.' "Old Fairfax Fairfax had a keen sense of humour, and as he looked down on the strangely old young darky and took in his answer, the circumstance became too much for his gravity, and his relaxing laugh sent the culprits rolling and tumbling in the sand in an ectasy of relief from the strained situation.