94 JUSTIN MORGAN 



Buckley picked it up, shaking his head with ill-concealed 

 satisfaction. 



" 'Tis but a crushed and torn rag," he said, brushing 

 it the wrong way with the sleeve of his coat ; ''but you 

 nave that young Morgan to thank for the prank." 



At these words Morgan was more mortified than ever, 

 though he could not help glancing furtively about for 

 the dog and pricking his ears back and forth for sounds. 

 Soon he espied and heard him a short way ahead, 

 yelping from the cover of his owner's hut, surrounded 

 by a protecting and gaping crowd of small bare-foot 

 children who had assembled from the other side of the 

 house to find out what the matter was. 



It is not necessary to relate with what fallen crest 

 Morgan bore his rider home after the day closed in. 

 The hat, so lately the envy of the whole town, hidden 

 under his rider's coat, to be laid away until Mistress 

 Hannah could restore it to some of its first magnificence. 



