That far away he could see that she
was angry and he hurried toward her. Her face was white with rage,
her mouth was tight and her dark eyes were aflame. Then from the
group another tall boy darted out and behind him ran a smaller
one, bellowing. Hale heard the boy with the cap call kindly:
"Hold on, little girl! I won't let 'em touch you." June stopped
with him and Hale ran to them.
"Here," he called, "what's the matter?"
June burst into crying when she saw him and leaned over the fence
sobbing. The tall lad with the cap had his back to Hale, and he
waited till the other two boys came up. Then he pointed to the
smaller one and spoke to Hale without looking around.
"Why, that little skate there was teasing this little girl and--"
"She slapped him," said Hale grimly. The lad with the cap turned.
His eyes were dancing and the shock of curly hair that stuck from
his absurd little cap shook with his laughter.
"Slapped him! She knocked him as flat as a pancake."
"Yes, an' you said you'd stand fer her," said the other tall boy
who was plainly a mountain lad. He was near bursting with rage.
Pages:
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143