noon
For a long time the rude boys of Raven Brook had teased and persecuted `` Polly Evert , '' as they called him , on account of his humped back and withered leg , and for a long time Derrick Sterling had been his stanch friend and protector . While the even-tempered lad used every effort to avoid quarrels on his own behalf , he would spring like a young tiger to rescue Paul Evert from his persecutors . Many a time had he stood at bay before a little mob of sooty-faced village boys , and dared them to touch the crippled lad who crouched trembling behind him . On this very day , during the noon breathing-spell , he had been compelled to thrash Bill Tooley , the village bully , on Paul 's behalf . Bill had been a mule-driver in the mine , but had been discharged from there a few days before , and taken into the breaker . He now sat beside Paul , and during the whole morning had steadily tormented him , in spite of the lad 's entreaties to be let alone and Derrick 's fierce threats from the other side . That Derrick had not escaped scot-free from the noon-hour encounter was shown by a deep cut on his upper lip .