Frank resolved to say nothing to his classmates about his private
studies. They would think he was falling far behind, and at some
future time he would surprise them.
Still, there were times when he felt the need of a teacher. He
would occasionally encounter difficulties which he found himself
unable to surmount without assistance. At such times he thought
of Mr Rathburn's kind offer. But his old teacher lived nearly a
mile distant, and he felt averse to troubling him, knowing that
his duties in school were arduous.
Occasionally he met some of his schoolmates. As nearly all of
them were friendly and well-disposed to him, this gave him
pleasure, and brought back sometimes the wish that he was as free
as they. But this wish was almost instantly checked by the
thought that he had made a sacrifice for his country's sake.
A few days after the incident narrated in the last chapter, Frank
was out in the woods not far from Chloe's cottage, collecting
brushwood, to be afterward carried home, when his attention was
called to an altercation, one of the parties in which he readily
recognized as little Pomp. To explain how it came about, we shall
have to go back a little.
Pomp was returning from Mrs. Frost's, swinging a tin kettle
containing provisions for his mother and himself, when all at
once he met John Haynes, who was coming from the opposite
direction.
Now, John was something of a bully, and liked to exercise
authority over the boys who were small enough to render the
attempt a safe one.
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