72 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



couple of Chuck-Will 's-Widow eggs and he could 

 not dodge the fact that to arrest Shan would be 

 to make a deadly enemy of the old moonshiner. 

 On the other hand, if he allowed a mere boy to 

 flaunt him like this in the presence of strangers, 

 what would become of his authority? He decided 

 for stem measures. 



' ' Yo ' can tell that to the judge, ' ' he said. ' ' I '11 

 put yo' under — " 



The stranger interrupted. 



"Here, Thompson," he said, 'that's not the 

 way to handle a case like this. Let me talk to the 

 lad." 



He turned to the defiant figure standing sturdily 

 on the sunlit woods path. 



''Well, son," he said, cheerily, "what's your 

 name?" 



"Shan," answered the boy, sulkily. 



' ' Good. Tell me, Shan, why you wouldn 't put 

 back the eggs." 



" 'Cause they're mine." 



"Suppose they are. What do you want them 

 for?" 



"I want them just 'cause they're mine," re- 

 peated the boy stubbornly, "I found them. 

 They're not his!" 



