The boy stood staring at him rather shamefacedly, though every muscle in his small body seemed on a twitch with the restrained impulse of flight.
"Well," said Anderson, finally, "what's the trouble, sir ?" Then the boy found his tongue.

He came close to the man.
"Say," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "jest let a feller stay in here a minute, will you ?" Anderson nodded readily.

He understood, or thought he did.

He immediately jumped to the conclusion that the teasing boys were at work again.

He felt a little astonished at this headlong flight to cover of the boy who had so manfully stood at bay a few hours before.
However, he was a little fellow, and there had been a good many of his opponents.