Sure enough! when they had turned the sharp bend in the road, they came to the scene of the mischief.  And then, somehow, all Master Sunshine’s smiles vanished, and a sad, troubled expression fell on his face.

A group of schoolboys were teasing Billy Butler, by calling him mocking names, and even by throwing balls of soft mud at him; while poor Billy was growing white with rage and was gesticulating wildly.

It was not the first time that the schoolboys had made a butt of poor Billy; and Master Sunshine wished, oh, so much! that he were not quite so young and small.  He was sure that these big boys would not stop their rude play for him.

Tommy was by his side now, and the boys were calling to them to join the crowd.  Tommy looked rather undecided.  He knew well enough that the boys were doing wrong, but he feared they would laugh at him unless he took part too; but Master Sunshine could not stand the sight.

“Come, Dick, make the boys stop teasing Billy,” cried he, going up to the big boy who was leading in the rude sport.  “He has never done you any harm.”

Dick looked angrily around.  “Listen to bow-legged Norton,” he answered rudely.

“Run along,” jeered another; “you better go and play with the a-b-c boys at the schoolhouse.”

Master Sunshine could not bear to be teased; but neither had he the heart to turn away when Billy’s eyes were following him so piteously.  His mind was quite made up now, and his temper was rising fast.

“If you can do without me, you can do without Billy too,” he said firmly, making his way through the group.  “You can call me any names you like, and throw mud if you want to; but I’m not going to leave Billy till he can go safely home.”

The boys looked at one another in amazement.  Here was Fred Norton dictating to them what they should and should not do,—­a little chap who had scarcely been a year at school.

For a moment they were too surprised to make any objection; and Master Sunshine had actually elbowed his way through the crowd, and, with Billy by the hand, was making his way back towards home before they realized what was happening.

Then a rude lad threw a great handful of mud that spattered on Master Sunshine’s back, and another cried, “Look at his bow-legs.”

Master Sunshine looked back at his tormentors, for the taunt was harder to bear than the mud itself.  The boys were quick to see this, and a half dozen of them at once joined in the teasing chorus:  “Did you ever see such legs?  Before I’d have crooked legs like that?”

And then his first tormentor would set in with the taunt of “Bow-legged Norton! bow-legged Norton!”

But somehow the fun was quite gone out of it now.  A number of the better-minded boys had left the group, and were walking quietly along.  Tommy was talking vigorously to them.

“Fred Norton is all right,” he exclaimed; “he’s as manly and honest as he can be.  He can’t bear to see anything ill-treated, not even a dog; and it is just like him to take Billy’s part.”