Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/420

 You’ve bullied me in the woods, but I’m boss now. Hustle along.”

“I didn’t know I was combing down the president’s nephew,” grinned Abner nervously.

“You were just as good a fellow, Stan, when I first met you as you are now,” earnestly declared Bub.

“My nephew is fortunate in falling in with you two,” warmly spoke up Thaxter, grasping the veteran and Bub by the hand. “It was the making of him. Naturally you are all curious to know several things. Shall I tell it, Stanley, or will you?”

“You explain, Uncle,” replied Stanley.

Thaxter rested a hand on Stanley’s shoulder and began: “This youth is the only child of my dear, dead sister. I have no kith or kin except him. He was never a boy who abused his position, but his natural disposition was er—er—”

“Overbearing and despicable,” supplied Stanley quickly.

“No, not as bad as that,” fondly smiled Thaxter. “But we two sometimes failed to agree. Not that Stanley was guilty of any wrongdoing, but he was headstrong about school matters and I was firm in my ways. The