the voices of Bill, Aleck, and Bud trailing raucously after.

Johnny, goaded out of his lofty contempt of them, whirled suddenly and
picked up a rock. Johnny could pitch a very fair ball for an amateur, and
the rock went true without any frills or curving deception. It landed in
the middle of Bud Norris's back, and Bud's vocal efforts ended in a howl
of pain.

"Serves you right, you devil!" Mary V commented unsympathetically from
her perch on the ledge.

Three more rocks ended the concert abruptly and started something else.
Curley had laughed hysterically until the four faced belligerently
Johnny's bombardment and started for him. "Beat it, Johnny! Beat it!"
cried Curley then, and made for the fence.

"I will like hell!" snarled Johnny, and gathered more rocks.

"Oh, Johnny! Sudden's comin'!" wailed Curley from the top rail. "Quit it,
Johnny, or you'll git fired!"

"I don't give a damn if I do!" Johnny's full, young voice shouted
ragefully. "It'll save me firing myself. Before I'll work with a bunch of
yellow-bellied, pin-headed fools--" He threw a clod of dirt that caught
Tex on the chin and filled his mouth so that he nearly choked, and a
jagged pebble that hit Aleck just over the ear a glancing blow that sent
him reeling. The third was aimed at Bill, but Bill ducked in time, and
the rock went on over his head and very nearly laid out Mary V's father,
he whom the boys called "Sudden" for some inexplicable reason.