boat he supposed to belong to Robert, and he was determined to spoil it.

He hacked away with such energy that soon there was a large hole in the
bottom of the boat. Not content with inflicting this damage, he cut it
in various other places, until it presented an appearance very different
from the neat, stanch boat of which Will Paine had been so proud. At
length Ben stopped, and contemplated the ruin he had wrought with
malicious satisfaction.

"That's the first instalment in my revenge," he said. "I should like to
see my young ferryman's face when he sees his boat again. It'll cost
him more than he'll ever get from my miserly uncle to repair it. It
serves him right for meddling with matters that don't concern him. And
now I must be getting away, for my affectionate uncle will soon be
raising a hue and cry after me if I'm not very much mistaken."

He would like to hare gone at once to obtain medical assistance for his
wound, but to go to the village doctor would be dangerous. He must wait
till he had got out of the town limits, and the farther away the better.
He knew when the train would start, and made his way across the fields
to the station, arriving just in time to catch it. First, however, he
bound a handkerchief round his shoulder to arrest the flow of blood.

When he reached the station, and was purchasing his ticket, the
station-master noticed the blood upon his shirt.

"Are you hurt, sir?" he asked.

"Yes, a little," said Ben Haley.