"Father 'll feel awfully bad; I hate to have him find it out."
Peter suppressed a grin.
"Boys ought always to be considerate o' their fathers' feelin's," he conceded.
"And you know, Pete, that you want me to have the mustang. You said yourself that it was a shame for a big boy like me to be riding Toddles."
Peter folded his arms and studied the distance a moment with thoughtful eyes; then he faced his companion with the air of pronouncing an ultimatum.
"I 'll tell ye what I 'll do, Master Bobby, since ye 're so anxious to save yer father's feelin's. I 'll agree not to mention the matter, an' ye can take yer punishment from me at the end of a strap."
Bobby stared.
"Do you mean," he gasped, "that you want to whip me?"
"Well, no, I can't say as I want to, but I
