He was
badly bruised and his right shoulder was very lame, but there was no
serious injury, and it seemed to the boy very trying to be compelled
to spend the night where he was. He did not sleep much, partly because
of his strange surroundings, and partly because of his aching head and
shoulder, and as he lay there in the dimly-lighted ward, his thoughts
were busy.
A hot anger burned in his heart as he recalled the cowardly attack in
the dark alley. He saw that it had been deliberately planned by Dick
Hunt, and that the four boys must have followed him from the corner
where he saw them.
"I'll pay that Dick Hunt for this," he muttered under his breath, "an'
Carrots, too. I know the chap that hit so hard was Carrots. I'll make
'em suffer for it!"
He lay there, his eyes flashing and his cheeks burning, as he thought
over various schemes of vengeance. Then suddenly he thought of Mr.
Scott, and that brought something else to his remembrance. He seemed
to see his teacher holding out his little Bible and making
him--Theodore--read aloud those two verses:
"Dearly beloved avenge not yourselves."
And "Recompense to no man evil for evil."
As he repeated these words to himself, the fire died slowly out of the
boy's eyes and the angry colour faded from his cheeks.
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