around.

"You run along to Mrs. Atterson, Sister," he said, quietly. "No,
you don't!" he added, gripping Dan, Junior, more firmly. "You'll
stop right here."

"Lemme be, Hi Strong!" bawled the other, when he found he could
not easily jerk away. "It'll be the worse for you if you don't."

"Just you wait until the girl is home," returned Hiram, laughing.
It was an easy matter for him to hold the writhing Dan, Junior.

"I'll fix you for this!" squalled the boy. "Wait till I tell my
father."

"You wouldn't dare tell your father the truth," laughed Hi.

"I'll fix you," repeated Dan, Junior, and suddenly aimed a
vicious kick at his captor.

Had the kick landed where Dan, Junior, intended--under Hi's
kneecap--the latter certainly would have been "fixed." But the
country youth was too agile for him.

He jumped aside, dragged Dan, Junior, suddenly toward him, and
then gave him a backward thrust which sent the lighter boy
spinning.

Now, it had rained the day before and in a hollow beside the path
was a puddle several inches deep. Dan, Junior, lost his balance,