him on the shoulder, and he says it has broken it, and that he would
send for a constable. So I told him to do so if he dared, and here
I am."

"This is a very serious business, Ned," his father said gravely.
"In the first place, there is something like a rebellion in the
school, of which, I suppose, you were one of the leaders or he would
not have singled you out. In the second place, you threw a missile
at him, which has broken his shoulder, and might have killed him
had it struck him on the head. I have warned you, my boy, over and
over again against giving way to that passionate temper of yours,
and have told you that it would lead you into serious trouble."

"I can't help it, sir," Ned said doggedly. "I've put up with
a tremendous lot there, and have said nothing about it, because
I did not wish to give you trouble; but when it came to downright
tyranny like this I would rather be killed than put up with it. I
warned him fairly that if he struck me I would throw the inkstand
at him, and he brought it on himself."

Captain Sankey seeing that in his son's present state of mind talking
would be useless to him, ordered him to remain in his study till
his return, and putting on his hat went toward the school. Ned's
temper had always been a source of anxiety to him. The boy was, no
doubt, of a passionate nature, but had he had the advantage of a
proper supervision and care when he was a child the tendency might
have been overcome. Unfortunately this had not been the case. His
mother had left the children entirely to the care of ayahs, he
himself had been far too occupied with his regimental duties to be
able to superintend their training, while Abijah's hands had been