It seems to me I have heard something about Sam's troubling him before, haven't I ?" asked Miss Celia, ready to defend her protege against all unfair persecution.
"Yes,'m, Sam and Mose are always plaguing Ben.

They are big boys, and we can't make them stop.

I won't let the girls do it, and the little boys don't dare to, since Teacher spoke to them." answered Bab.
"Why does not Teacher speak to the big ones?
"Ben won't tell of them, or let us.

He says he'll fight his own battles, and hates tell-tales.

I guess he won't like to have us tell you, but I don't care, for it is too bad!" and Betty looked ready to cry over her friend's tribulations.
"I'm glad you did, for I will attend to it, and stop this sort of thing," said Miss Celia, after the children had told some of the tormenting speeches which had tried poor Ben.
Just then Thorny appeared, looking much amused, and the little girls both called out in a breath, "Did you see Ben and get him down ?" "He got himself down in the neatest way you can imagine;" and Thorny laughed at the recollection.
"Where is Sam ?" asked Bab.
"Staring up at the sky to see where Ben has flown to." "Oh, tell about it!" begged Betty.
"Well, I came along and found Ben treed, and Sam stoning him.