Questions as to where they were caught, and how, poured upon the young fishermen so fast that it was not easy to dodge them all at once, or prevent a general stampede of the academy boys to Green Pond.

“They’d use up the boat in one day, and all the fish in the next,” said Dab to Frank; “but where’d you learn to do what you did for Fuz and Joe?”

“Sleight-of-hand?  Oh! one of father’s Hindu converts had been a juggler.  He taught me.  They’re the best in the world, but father doesn’t like me to do much of it.  We can have some fun with it yet, though.  It came to me like a flash when I saw those things on the ground.”

“Served ’em right.  Spoiling ’em on the ground was next thing to stealing.”

“Come on, boys,” said Ford.  “It’s after five o’clock.”

They were all glad to escape from the crowd, especially Dick Lee; and it was not until they were across the street that the tall form of Dr. Brandegee came slowly down past the ball-players.  He seemed particularly interested in that game.  It was currently reported, indeed, that he had been a first-class athlete in his younger days, and that he took a quiet half-hour in the morning with his dumb-bells now, before doing any thing at all with his Greek and Latin.

The “short-stop” was a well-built, sunburned student of at least twenty; and the doctor noticed how neatly he had been doing his work.

“Wish I could catch an equation as well as I can a ball,” said the young fellow, coloring a little, perhaps at the memory of something in mathematics which had “got by him.”

“You will, I think.  By the way, didn’t I see what looked like a disturbance down here among the boys, just now?”

“Disturbance?  Well, yes, I should say there was.  Came near interrupting the game.”

“Any thing serious?”

“Well, it might have been.  Some of the boys made a set on that little colored chap.  Mean thing to do.  I’d ha’ stopped it myself; but that Kinzer boy, and the other two that board with Mrs. Myers, they cleared it all up in no time.”

“No fighting, I hope?”

“Well, no; but I tell you what, doctor, the rest of the boys’ll let that nigger alone.  His friends can box.”

“Ah, yes!  I understand.  They stood by him.  Wouldn’t see him imposed upon.”

“They just wouldn’t.  They’re prime little chaps.  The other boys were bigger’n they are.  I’d ha’ helped ’em, but they didn’t need any help.”

“No.  Yes,—­I see.  It won’t do to have any fighting, but then!  H’m!  They stood right by him!  Good-afternoon, Mr. Pulsifer.”

“Good-afternoon, Dr. Brandegee.  There, if he hasn’t made me lose a hit!  I’d ha’ fetched it.  But I’m glad I had a chance to set him right about that scrimmage.  I thought those three chaps were kind o’ stuck up, but everybody’ll know where to place ’em now.”

There was nothing like anger, or even disapproval, on Dr. Brandegee’s face when he walked away; but he was muttering,—­