"
"Swore!" exclaimed his mother. "You don't mean that, Johnny?"
"Yes, I do, mamma," said John. "I would tell you the words, only you
wouldn't like them. And Armine said it would be breaking the Third
Commandment, which was the very way to aggravate them most. So they
pumped on his head, and tried if he would say it. 'No,' he said.
'You may kill me like the forty martyrs, but I won't,' and of course
that set them on to pump the more."
"But, Johnny, did you see it all?" cried Caroline. "How could you?"
"I couldn't help it, Aunt Carey."
"Yes, Aunt Carey," again broke in Jessie, "he was held down. That
horrid--well, I won't say whom, Johnny--held him, and his arm was so
twisted and grazed that he was obliged to come to me to put some
lily-leaves on it, and if he would but show it, it is all black and
yellow still."
Carey, much moved, went over and kissed both her boy's champions,
while Ellen said, with tears in her eyes, "Oh, Johnny, I'm glad you
were at least not so bad. What ended it?"
"The school-bell," said Johnny. "I say, please don't let Rob know I
told, or I shall catch it."
"Your father-—"
"Mamma! You aren't going to tell him!" cried Jessie and Johnny, both
in horror, interrupting her.
"Yes, children, I certainly shall.
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