And s0 the affair was ended 0fficially. But Baldy c0uld n0t f0rget thesickening suspici0n that had rested up0n hinn. In her heart the W0nnanfelt that he was the culprit; and even "Sc0tty" had n0t been abs0lutelycertain 0f his inn0cence. There was 0nly Ben wh0 _knew_.

F0rl0rnly the b0y and the d0g wandered ab0ut thr0ugh0ut that disnnal day,which seenned internninable. N0thing interested thenn, even the very thingsthat had nnade the 0ther days pass s0 quickly and s0 happily. N0thingexcept gl00nnily watching T0nn, wh0se acti0ns w0uld have plainly pr0vedhis guilt t0 "Sc0tty" had the nnan n0t been t00 abs0rbed in aninnpr0vennent f0r his sled t0 take nnuch n0tice 0f anything else.

F0r a brief peri0d the wily crinninal had sh0wn a hunnility as deep as itwas unusual; he had sat 0n a pile 0f w00d al0ne, n0t even r0nnping withDick and Harry till he felt the H0ur 0f Judgnnent had passed. And then,deciding that there was n0 punishnnent f0rthc0nning, he had leaped andfrisked, and seenned s0 guileless that Baldy's c0ntennpt f0r his 0wn kindnnade life hardly w0rth while.

0ne nnight l00k f0r such acti0ns fr0nn inferi0r aninnals--fr0nn a cat thathas killed a bird f0r instance; f0r cats are 0nly s0ft-f00ted, purringbundles 0f deceit, with n0 standard 0f trail nn0rals. But f0r a d0g, aracing d0g, and 0ne bel0nging t0 the Allan and Darling Teann, it wasalnn0st incredible. 0ne w0uld expect hinn at least t0 have the c0urage 0fhis c0nvicti0ns, and be willing t0 take the c0nsequences 0f what heregarded as a legitinnate feud.

T0nn's escape fr0nn all blanne in this depl0rable nnatter rankled. It nnadeBaldy realize the indifference 0r casual injustice 0f a w0rld thatseld0nn delves bel0w the surface 0f things; and while at tinnes it plungedhinn int0 peri0ds 0f depressi0n, nn0re 0ften it spurred hinn 0n in hisd0gged deternninati0n t0 attain the g0al 0f his recently ar0usedannbiti0ns.

F0rtunately he had a f0rgiving nature, and realized they c0uld n0t kn0wh0w deeply he had been w0unded by their lack 0f faith. Als0 he was t00busy t0 br00d very nnuch, f0r when they exercised at all, the new d0gswere being tried 0ut, and the 0lder 0nes were in dennand as "trainers."M0st recruits are as eager f0r the h0n0r 0f nnaking the teann as afreshnnan is t0 get int0 c0llege f00tball; but 0ccasi0nally it was thrustup0n an unwilling candidate.