hand and with the other plied a thin rubber cane with no gentle
force to every portion of Toby's body that he could reach.

Every blow caused the poor boy the most intense pain; but he
determined that his tormentor should not have the satisfaction of
forcing an outcry from him, and he closed his lips so tightly that
not a single sound could escape from them.

This very silence enraged the man so much that he redoubled the
force and rapidity of his blows, and it is impossible to say what
might have been the consequences had not Ben come that way just
then and changed the aspect of affairs.

"Up to your old tricks of whipping the boys, are you, Job?" he
said, as he wrested the cane from the man's hand and held him off
at arm's length, to prevent him from doing Toby more mischief.

Mr. Lord struggled to release himself, and insisted that, since the
boy was in his employ, he should do with him just as he saw fit.

"Now look here, Mr. Lord," said Ben, as gravely as if he was
delivering some profound piece of wisdom, "I've never interfered
with you before; but now I'm going to stop your game of thrashing
your boy every morning before breakfast. You just tell this youngster
what you want him to do, and if he don't do it you can discharge
him. If I hear of your flogging him, I shall attend to your case
at once. You hear me?"

Ben shook the now terrified candy vender much as if he had been a
child, and then released him, saying to Toby as he did so, "Now, my