Good Mrs. Fuller, the meekest soul in Ogleport, had come of sound “revolutionary” stock, and the deacon himself would have been more surprised than Zeb was at the real character of the “scolding” she gave him. “You couldn’t help it, Zeb?” “Not without giving up the cows.” “Sure there was no other way but to fight those boys? I wouldn’t have had to.” “You’d have had to let ’em drive the cows to the pound, then.” “You thought you were doing your duty, then, Zeb?” “Yes, mother,” said Zeb, firmly. “It was my fault that the cows got away, and so it was my duty to bring ’em back again.” “Oh, Zeb! More of your mischief? I’m sorry for that, and I’m sorry you had to fight.” “Mother!” “But, Zeb, my boy, I’m not at all sorry you tried to do your duty, and that you didn’t flinch.” Zeb half believed his mother to be an angel at any time, but she had never before seemed nearer one than just then. It was pretty certain her words would return to him some other time, when a question should arise between duty and “flinching.” Just then, however, after a good bit of work at the wash-basin, Zeb went out to look after the wants of the bay colt, with a glow at his heart and a sort of feeling that he wouldn’t mind having his other eye blackened. “I’m getting awful stiff, though,” he said to himself, “and I don’t believe I could make much of a wrestle till I get the marks of that club off my arms and legs.” On his way to the pasture afterwards, Zeb learned from Bill Jones and Hy Allen the results of their day’s fishing, and the other boys assured him they had kept for him a liberal share of the spoils of the old “sweet tree.” At Dr. Dryer’s house, that evening was an unusually lively one, for the doctor and his wife, and even Effie herself, were “on their good behavior” in one sense over the newcomer. CHAPTER X THE PUZZLED PROFESSOR On the return of the boys to the house of Dr. Manning, Val’s hospitable young mind had been somewhat disturbed as to how he should amuse his new friend during the remaining hours of the afternoon. “To-morrow,” he said, “I’ll get father to lend us the carriage, and we’ll have a grand drive, and next day we’ll do something else. Maybe we’ll go fishing. There’s plenty of fun evenings, but what’ll we do now?” “One thing I’d like to do,” said Bar. “What’s that?” “Why, I never saw so many books and things in all my life as there are in your library. Do you suppose your father’d object to my taking a closer look at them?” “The library?” exclaimed Val. “Why, that isn’t much. Father’d be glad enough if I’d put in more time there than I do. Then he’s got a whole lot of things in his laboratory. Fun there, now!” “I should say so,” said Bar. “I know something about that. We had to work up a whole lot of experiments once.” “We?” said Val, inquiringly. “Yes,” said Bar. “I and some other fellows. Only we just learned enough to play our tricks, that’s all.”