I couldn't let him beat me half to death.

And I told him to keep off or I would strike him with the stone.

I'm sure I wasn't to blame." "Why, was he going to beat you, Andrew?
What did you do to him ?" asked Mrs.Howland.
"I'll tell you, mother," replied the boy.

"He was pounding with his fist a poor little fellow, not half his size, and I couldn't stand and see it if he was a bigger boy than me.

So I took the little boy's part; and then he turned on me and said he'd beat the life out of me.