The day was spoiled for me; I partly blamed myself for it, though my plans had been to make the two little boys happy, but misery came instead. After supper I slipped away from my companions, and all alone I lay on the grass looking up at the stars, thinking of what had happened that afternoon. I tried to reconcile the act of Gray-beard with the teachings of the Missionaries, but I could not do so from any point of view. All the boys had come together in the yard, and some one called out, "Let's play pull." So they divided into two groups, grading each according to the size of the boys. Two of the strongest were selected, one from each side; they held a stout stick between them, then on each side the boys grasped each other around the waist. When all were ready, they began to pull, every boy crying, "Hue! Hue!" as he tugged and strained. In the dusk the contending lines looked like two great dark beasts tearing at each other and lashing their tails from side to side. Bob and Joe were at the very end of one side; Bob had tied a bit of rope around his waist, and Joe had hold of that with his only serviceable hand. The pulling lasted for quite a while; finally one side drew the other over the mark; the game ended, and the boys noisily disbanded. "Frank! Frank!" I heard; it was Edwin and the rest of the "gang." "Here I am," I called out, and they gathered around me. "Joe's hand is awful swelled up," said Bob, as he threw himself down on the grass. "What's the matter with him?" asked Warren. "Gray-beard beat Joe's hand like everything; he was so mad I thought he'd kill the boy." Then I recounted the scene, adding, "I can't think of anything else; it was awful!" "Did he do anything to you?" asked Edwin. "He shook me right hard when he asked me who did it; but when he saw Joe crying he knew who it was; then he let go of me and whipped him." Brush had been listening to my story without a word; now he arose and said, "Boys, stay here till I come back." He went into the house and knocked at the superintendent's door. "I'm glad to see you Brush," said the superintendent, kindly. "Have you finished the book, and do you want another?" "No, sir; I wish to speak to you about something that happened to-day, which I don't think is quite right, and I thought you ought to know about it." Then he told in a simple straightforward manner the story of Joe's punishment. When Brush had finished, the superintendent sent for Gray-beard. For a long time the two men talked earnestly together. At length Brush returned, and said, as he took his seat among us: "Boys, that will not happen again. Gray-beard says he's sorry he did it, and I believe him." Chapter XVI The Break