The boys passed on their way, and Ralph and George, whose “fun” had been thus suddenly and unjustly spoiled by their insolent and domineering companions, concluded to return home.  Poor Ralph dreaded to meet Oscar; but yet he hunted him up, as soon as he got home, and told him what had befallen the beautiful sled.  Oscar was very angry when he heard the story, but he generously acquitted his brother of all blame in the matter, and declared that he would pay back the boy who had thus taken advantage of his weakness.  He knew the offender, from Ralph’s description, and from the name of his sled, which was the “Corsair.”  He even proposed to go directly to the Common, and settle the account at once; but Ralph, in whose heart revenge held a very small place, persuaded him out of the notion.

But Oscar, unlike Ralph, was not the boy to forget or forgive an injury.  A day or two after the occurrence just related, while coasting on the Common, he fell in with the boy who run into his brother.  Keeping his eye upon him until he could catch him a little aside from the other boys, when the favorable moment came, he suddenly dealt him a severe blow, which nearly knocked him over, accompanying it with the remark: 

“There, take that for running down my little brother, when he was coasting with my sled, the other day.”

The other boy, without saying a word, sprang at Oscar, and, for a moment or two, blows and kicks were freely exchanged.  But though they were about of a size, it was evident that Oscar was the stronger or most resolute of the two, and his antagonist soon gave up the contest, but not until he had been pretty roughly handled.  Other boys soon came flocking around, to whom Oscar explained the cause of the assault; but his antagonist denied all knowledge of the affair for which Oscar had attacked him.  An angry war of words ensued, but the excitement finally subsided without any further resort to blows, and Oscar returned home, well pleased with his adventure.

One of Oscar’s favorite winter amusements was skating.  Early in winter, as soon as the little pond on the Common was frozen over, he might be seen gliding over the smooth ice; but later in the season, when there was good skating on “Back Bay,” he preferred that locality, because of its greater extent.  Tiger usually accompanied him in his skating excursions, and seemed to enjoy the sport as much as his master did.  It was amusing to see him try to make a short turn, in running upon the ice.  He would slide some distance before he could change his course.  Oscar would often plague him, when he was in full chase after his master, by suddenly turning upon his skates, and taking a contrary direction, leaving Tiger to get back as he could.