“Ah, and there be two more you can’t see, because the old un be lying on ’em,” said Jan.

“Six, seven!” William counted; and he assisted the calculation by sticking up first a thumb and then a forefinger as he spoke.

Some who had not thought half a ball of string, or a dozen nails as good as new, too much to pay for a single pig drawn on one side of their slates, and only lasting as long as they could contrive to keep the other side in use without quite smudging that one, were now disposed to be dissatisfied with their bargains.  But as the school broke up, and Tom Green was seen loitering on the other side of the road, every thing was forgotten in the general desire to see Jan carry out his threat, and “whop” a boy bigger than himself for bullying a little girl.

Jan showed no disposition to shirk, and William acted as his friend, and held his slate and book.

Success is not always to the just, however; and poor Jan was terribly beaten by his big opponent, though not without giving him some marks of the combat to carry away.

Kitty Chuter wept bitterly for Jan’s bloody nose; but he comforted her, saying, “Never mind, Kitty; if he plagues thee again, ’ll fight un again and again, till I whops he.”

But his valor was not put to the proof, for Tommy Green molested her no more.

Jan washed his face in the water-meadows, and went stout-heartedly home, where Master Lake beat him afresh, as he ironically said, “to teach him to vight young varments like himself instead of minding his book.”

But upon Master Chuter, of the Heart of Oak, the incident made quite a different impression.  He was naturally pleased by Jan’s championship of his child, and, added to this, he was much impressed by the sketch on the slate.  It was, he said, the “living likeness” of his own sow; and, as she had seven young pigs, the portrait was exact, allowing for the two which Jan had said were out of sight.

He gave Kitty a new slate, and kept the sketch, which he showed to all in-comers.  He displayed it one evening to the company assembled round the hearth of the little inn, and took occasion to propound his views on the subject of Jan’s future life.

(Master Chuter was fond of propounding his views,—­a taste which was developed by always being sure of an audience.)

“It’s nothing to me,” said Master Chuter, speaking of Jan, “who the boy be.  It be no fault of his’n if he’s a fondling.  And one thing’s sure enough.  Them that left him with Master Lake left something besides him.  There was that advertisement,—­you remember that about the five-pound bill in the paper, Daddy Angel?”

“Ay, ay, Master Chuter,” said Daddy Angel; “after the big storm, five year ago.  Sartinly, Master Chuter.”

“Was it ever found, do ye think?” said Master Linseed, the painter and decorator.