"The boy ought to be punished," said he. "He hit
me with a rock."
"I wish you'd seen him," said the beaming Danny to the captain, for the
recollection of that victory made all else seem trivial. "Say! he
doubled up like a clown droppin' into a barrel."
"If he isn't punished," asserted the glowering manager, "he'll get worse
and worse and end by going to the devil."
"Perhaps," replied the captain. "But just stand beside him a moment,
please. Don't dodge, Danny. He'll go behind the bars if he touches you.
Stand side by side."
They did so.
"Now," said the captain to the manager, "how do you think you'll look,
standing beside him in the police court and accusing him of assault and
battery?"
"Like a fool," replied the manager promptly, forced to laugh in spite of
himself.
"And what kind of a story--illustrated story--will it be for the
papers?" persisted the captain.
"Let him go," said the manager; "but he ought to be whaled."
It was at this point that Dan arrived, accompanied by his wife.
"F'r why sh'u'd he be whaled?" demanded the latter aggressively.
The matter was explained to her.
"Is that thrue, Danny?" she asked.
"Sure," replied the boy.
"Well, I'd like to see anny wan outside the fam'ly whale ye," she said,
with a defiant look at the manager, "but I'll do it mesilf.
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