"I don't know why you should have thought that," she said. "Why should I be so uncharitable. I was very sorry that anything was likely to interrupt the school." "Oh," I replied, and perhaps with some bitterness, "it really amounts to but little--the threat of those ruffians, I mean--and to speak about it almost puts me down as a fool. I hope you will forgive me." I hastened away, with a senseless anger in my heart, and I think that it is well that I saw no member of the Aimes family that morning on my way to school. Everything went forward as usual; play-time came, and the children shouted in the woods, and the hour for dismissal had nearly arrived when in stalked Alf with a shot-gun. He nodded at me and took a seat far to the rear of the room, as if careful lest he might interrupt the closing ceremonies. And when the last child was gone my friend came forward, shaking his head. "What's the trouble now?" I asked, taking down my hat. "Put your hat right back there, unless you want to wear it in the house," he said. "I have found out that those fellows are laying for you, and it won't be safe to start home now; we'll have to wait until dark. Oh, they'll get you sure if you go now. They have been to town, I understand, and have come back pretty well loaded up with whisky. Oh, they are as bold as lions now. But we'll fix them all right. We'll wait until dark and not go by the road, and to-morrow morning we'll go over and see what they've got to say." "Alf, I don't know how to express my thanks to you. You are running a great risk----" "Don't mention that, Bill. You stood by me, you understand--walked right into the General's house with me, and I said to myself that if you ever got into a pinch that I'd be on hand and stand with you. Did you bring a pistol?" "Yes, and I am very glad that I didn't meet one of those fellows as I came along. However, I should not know one of them if I were to meet him in the road." "But you'll know them after a while. Do these doors lock?" "I think not, or, at least, they could be easily forced open. Do you think they are likely----" "They are likely to do anything now," he broke in. "And there are just four of them big enough to fight--of the boys, I mean, for the old man has sense enough to keep out of it." "It is a wonder, then," said I, "that he hasn't sense enough to keep his sons out of it, as he must know that no good can be the result." "That's all true enough," Alf replied, "but I have heard that you can't argue with the instinct of a brute, and I know that it is useless to argue with red liquor. Here, let's shove the writing desk against this door," he added. "Once more, shove again. That's it. Now we'll pile benches against the other one. We can't do anything with the windows, but must simply keep out of the way of them." "Do you think they will shoot through them?" I asked.