Tom's face, livid with rage, took a darker tinge at this command. More
on-lookers had now arrived, who jeered and hooted the unfortunate man.
It was a great joke to see the boaster at length brought low by quaint
old Captain Josh. Such a thing didn't happen every day, and they could
well afford to lose any amount of time to see the fun. But it was far
from fun for the victim of their sport. He made one more effort to
assert himself, and turned furiously upon his captor with words and
fists. But two hands gripped him now instead of one, and he was
brought down upon the road with such a bang that he yelled with pain,
and pleaded for mercy.

"Mercy, d'ye ask?" the captain growled. "There'll be no mercy shown to
the like of you till ye do what I say. Yer son got settled yesterday
fer actin' the bully, and you'll git far worse to-day if ye don't hurry
and do as I tell ye."

"What d'ye want me to say?" Tom moaned.

"Say? Say what ye like, only let it be a decent apology. Tell the boy
that ye're sorry, and that sich a thing won't happen again, that's all."

Rod had been a silent and interested spectator of all that had taken
place. At first he could not understand the meaning of the captain's
words. But when it suddenly dawned upon his mind, he sprang quickly
forward.

"I don't want him to do it!" he cried.

"Don't want him to do what?" exclaimed the astonished captain.