I looked around at my barbarian kin, who had produced hunters' knives
from recesses in their clothing, and now gathered impatiently around
Dorothy, who appeared to be the leader in their collective deviltries.

"All the same, that watch is mine," broke out Ruyven, defiantly. "I'll
leave it to our cousin Ormond--" but Dorothy cut in: "Cousin, it was
done in this manner: father lost his timepiece, and the law is that
whoever finds things about the house may keep them. So we all ran to
the porch where father had fallen off his horse last night, and I think
we all saw it at the same time; and I, being the older and stronger--"

"You're not the stronger!" cried Sam and Harry, in the same breath.

"I," repeated Dorothy, serenely, "being not only older than Ruyven by a
year, but also stronger than you all together, kept the watch, spite of
your silly clamor--and mean to keep it."

"Then we matched shillings for it!" cried Cecile.

"It was only fair; we all discovered it," explained Dorothy. "But Ruyven
matched with a Spanish piece where the date was under the reverse, and
he says he won. Did he, cousin?"

"Mint-dates always match!" said Ruyven; "gentlemen of our age understand
that, Cousin George, don't we?"

"Have I not won fairly?" asked Dorothy, looking at me. "If I have not,
tell me."