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The Hoosier School-Boy

The Hoosier

School-Boy

EDWARD EGGLESTON

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

1883

TROW'S

PRINTING AND BOOKBINDING COMP
201-213 East Twelfth Street
NEW YORK

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

The New Scholar 9

CHAPTER II.
K'.ng Milkmaid 17

CHAPTER III.
Answering Back 22

CHAPTER IV.
Little Christopher Columbus 29

CHAPTER V.
Whiling Away Time 36

CHAPTER VI.
A Battle 41

CHAPTER VII.
Hat-Ball and Bull-Pen .. 47

CHAPTER VIII.
The Defender 54

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IX.

PAGE

Pigeon Pot-Pie 60

CHAPTER X.
Jack and His Mother 71

CHAPTER XI.
Columbus and His Friends 75

CHAPTER XII.
Greenbank Wakes Up 82

CHAPTER XIII.
Professor Susan 86

CHAPTER XIV.
Crowing After Victory 91

CHAPTER XV.
An Attempt to Collect 98

CHAPTER XVI.
An Exploring Expedition , 105

CHAPTER XVII.
Housekeeping Experiences 109

CHAPTER XVIII.
Ghosts nS

CHAPTER XIX.
The Return Home 125

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XX,

PAGE

A Foot-Race for Money 133

CHAPTER XXI.
The New Teacher 142

CHAPTER XXII.
Chasing the Fox 147

CHAPTER XXIII.
Called to Account 154

CHAPTER XXIV.
An Apology 159

CHAPTER XXV.
King's Base and a Spelling-Lesson 165

CHAPTER XXVI.
Unclaimed Top-Strings 168

CHAPTER XXVII.
The Last Day of School, and the Last Chapter of the Story 174

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

' Not There, Not There, My Child ! " , Frontispiece

PAGE

Jack Amusing the Small Boys with Stories of Hunting, Fishing, and

Frontier Adventure 37

" Cousin Sukey," said Little Columbus, "I want to ask a favor of
you." 87

"The Landing of Christopher Columbus" 113

Bob Holliday Carries Home His Friend 179

THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

CHAPTER I.

THE NEW SCHOLAR.

WHILE the larger boys in the village school of Green-
bank were having a game of " three old cat " before
school-time, there appeared on the playground a strange
boy, carrying two books, a slate, and an atlas under his
arm.

He was evidently from the country, for he wore a suit
of brown jeans, or woollen homespun, made up in the
natural color of the " black " sheep, as we call it. He
shyly sidled up to the school-house door, and looked
doubtfully at the boys who were playing ; watching the
familiar game as though he had never seen it before.

The boys who had the " paddles " were standing on
three bases, while three others stood each behind a base
and tossed the ball round the triangle from one hole or
base to another. The new-comer soon perceived that,
if one with a paddle, or bat, struck at the ball and missed
it, and the ball was caught directly, or "at the first

12 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

bounce," he gave up his bat to the one who had "caught
him out." When the ball was struck, it was called a
" tick," and Avhen there was a tick, all the batters were
obliged to run one base to the left, and then the ball
thrown between a batter and the base to which he was
running " crossed him out," and obliged him to give up
his " paddle " to the one who threw the ball.

" Four old cat," " two old cat," and " five old cat "
are, as everybody knows, played in the same way, the
number of bases or holes increasing with the addition of
each pair of players.

It is probable that the game was once some hun-
dreds of years ago, maybe called " three hole catch,"
and that the name was gradually corrupted into " three
hole cat," as it is still called in the interior States, and
then became changed by mistake to " three old cat."
It is, no doubt, an early form of our present game of
base-ball.

It was this game which the new boy watched, trying
to get an inkling of how it was played. He stood by
the school-house door, and the girls who came in were
obliged to pass near him. Each of them stopped to
scrape her shoes, or rather the girls remembered the
foot-scraper because they were curious to see the new-
comer. They cast furtive glances at him, noting his new
suit of brown clothes, his geography and atlas, his arith-
metic, and, last of all, his face.

THE NEW SCHOLAR. 13

" There's a new scholar," said Peter Rose, or, as he
was called, " Pevvee " Rose, a stout and stocky boy of
fourteen, who had just been caught out by another.

" I say, Greeny, how did you get so brown ? " called
out Will Riley, a rather large, loose-jointed fellow.

Of course, all the boys laughed at this. Boys will
sometimes laugh at any one suffering torture, whether
the victim be a persecuted cat or a persecuted boy. The
new boy made no answer, but Joanna Merwin, who, just
at that moment, happened to be scraping her shoes, saw
that he grew red in the face with a quick flush of anger.

" Don't stand there, Greeny, or the cows '11 eat you
up ! " called Riley, as he came round again to the base
nearest to the school-house.

Why the boys should have been amused at this
speech, the new scholar could not tell the joke was
neither new nor witty only impudent and coarse. But
the little boys about the door giggled.

" It's a pity something wouldn't eat you, Will Riley
you are good for nothing but to be mean." This sharp
speech came from a rather tall and graceful girl of six-
teen, who came up at the time, and who saw the annoy-
ance of the new boy at Riley's insulting words. Of
course the boys laughed again. It was rare sport to hear
pretty Susan Lanham " take down " the impudent Riley.

" The bees will never eat you for honey, Susan," said
Will.

14 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

Susan met the titter of the playground with a quick
flush of temper and a fine look of scorn.

" Nothing would eat you, Will, unless, maybe, a
turkey-buzzard, and a very hungry one at that."

This sharp retort was uttered with a merry laugh of
ridicule, and a graceful toss of the head, as the mischiev-
ous girl passed into the school-house.

"That settles you, Will," said Pewee Rose. And
Bob Holliday began singing, to a doleful tune :

" Poor old Pidy,

She died last Friday."

Just then, the stern face of Mr. Ball, the master, ap-
peared at the door ; he rapped sharply with his ferule,
and called : " Books, books, books ! " The bats were
dropped, and the boys and girls began streaming into
the school, but some of the boys managed to nudge
Riley, saying :

" Poor old creetur,

The turkey-buzzards eat her,"

and such like soft and sweet speeches. Riley was vexed
and angry, but nobody was afraid of him, for a boy may
be both big and mean and yet lack courage.

The new boy did not go in at once, but stood silently
and faced the inquiring looks of the procession of boys as
they filed into the school-room with their faces flushed
from the exercise and excitement of the games.

THE NEW SCHOLAR.

" I can thrash him easy," thought Pewee Rose.

" He isn't a fellow to back down easily," said Harvey
Collins to his next neighbor.

Only good-natured, rough Bob Holliday stopped and
spoke to the new-comer a friendly word. All that he
said was " Hello ! " But how much a boy can put into
that word " Hello ! " Bob put his whole heart into it,
and there was no boy in the school that had .a bigger
heart, a bigger hand, or half so big a foot as Bob Holli-
day.

The village school-house was a long one built of red
brick. It had taken the place of the old log institution
in which one generation of Greenbank children had
learned reading, writing, and Webster's spelling-book.
There were long, continuous writing-tables down the
sides of the room, with backless benches, so arranged
that when the pupil was writing his face was turned to-
ward the wall there was a door at each end, and a box
stove stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by a
rectangle of four backless benches. These benches were
for the little fellows who did not write, and for others
when the cold should drive them nearer the stove.

The very worshipful master sat at the east end of the
room, at one side of the door ; there was a blackboard
a " new-fangled notion " in 1850 at the other side of the
door. Some of the older scholars, who could afford
private desks with lids to them, suitable for concealing

16 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

smuggled apples and maple-sugar, had places at the other
end of the room from the master. This arrangement was
convenient for quiet study, for talking on the fingers by
signs, for munching apples or gingerbread, and for pass-
ing little notes between the boys and girls.

When the school had settled a little, the master struck
a sharp blow on his desk for silence, and looked fiercely
around the room, eager to find a culprit on whom to
wreak his ill-humor. Mr. Ball was one of those old-
fashioned teachers who gave the impression that he
would rather beat a boy than not, and would even like
to eat one, if he could find a good excuse. His eye lit
upon the new scholar.

" Come here," he said, severely, and then he took
his seat.

The new boy walked timidly up to a place in front of
the master's desk. He was not handsome, his face was
thin, his eyebrows were prominent, his mouth was rather
large and good-humored, and there was that shy twinkle
about the corners of his eyes which always marks a fun-
loving spirit. But his was a serious, fine-grained face,
with marks of suffering in it, and he had the air of having
been once a strong fellow ; of late, evidently, shaken to
pieces by the ague.

" Where do you live ? " demanded Mr. Ball.

" On Ferry Street."

" What do they call you ? " This was said with a

THE NEW SCHOLAR.

contemptuous, rasping inflection that irritated the new
scholar. His eyes twinkled, partly with annoyance and
partly with mischief.

" They call me Jack, for the most part," then catch-
ing the titter that came from the girls' side of the room,
and frightened by the rising hurricane on the master's
face, he added quickly : " My name is John Dudley,
sir."

" Don't you try to show your smartness on me, young
man. You are a new-comer, and I let you off this time.
Answer me that way again, and you will remember it as
long as you live." And the master glared at him like a
savage bull about to toss somebody over a fence.

The new boy turned pale, and dropped his head.

" How old are you ? " " Thirteen."

"Have you ever been to school?" "Three
months."

" Three months. Do you know how to read ? "

" Yes, sir," with a smile.

" Can you cipher ? " " Yes, sir."

" In multiplication ?" " Yes, sir."

" Long division ? "

" Yes, sir ; I've been half through fractions."

" You said you'd been to school but three months ! "
" My father taught me."

There was just a touch of pride in his voice as he said
this a sense of something superior about his father.

1 8 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

This bit of pride angered the master, who liked to be
thought to have a monopoly of all the knowledge in the
town.

" Where have you been living? "

" In the Indian Reserve, of late ; I was born in
Cincinnati."

" I didn't ask you where you were born. When I
ask you a question, answer that and no more."

"Yes, sir." There was a touch of something in the
tone of this reply that amused the school, and that made
the master look up quickly and suspiciously at Jack
Dudley, but the expression on Jack's face was as inno-
cent as that of a cat who has just lapped the cream off the
milk.

CHAPTER II.

KING MILKMAID.

PEWEE ROSE, whose proper name was Peter Rose,
had also the nickname of King Pevvee. He was about
fourteen years old, square built and active, of great
strength for his size, and very proud of the fact that no
boy in town cared to attack him. He was not bad-
tempered, but he loved to be master, and there were a set
of flatterers who followed him, like jackals about a lion.

As often happens, Nature had built for King Pewee a
very fine body, but had forgotten to give him any mind
to speak of. In any kind of chaff or banter, at any sort
of talk or play where a good head was worth more than
a strong arm and a broad back, King Pewee was sure to
have the worst of it. A very convenient partnership had
therefore grown up between him and Will Riley. Riley
had muscle enough, but Nature had made him mean-
spirited. He had not exactly wit but a facility for
using his tongue, which he found some difficulty in dis-
playing, through fear of other boys' fists. By forming
a friendship with Pewee Rose, the two managed to keep
in fear the greater part of the school. Will's rough

2O THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

tongue, together with Pewee's rude fists, were enough to
bully almost any boy. They let Harvey Collins alone,
because he was older, and, keeping to himself, awed
them by his dignity ; good-natured Bob Holliday, also,
was big enough to take care of himself. But the rest
were all as much afraid of Pewee as they were of the mas-
ter, and as Riley managed Pewee, it behooved them to
be afraid of the prime minister, Riley, as well as of King
Pewee.

From the first day that Jack Dudley entered the
school, dressed in brown jeans, Will Riley marked him
for a victim. The air of refinement about his face showed
him to be a suitable person for teasing.

Riley called him " milksop," and " sap-head ; " words
which seemed to the dull intellect of King Pewee ex-
ceedingly witty. And as Pewee was Riley's defender,
he felt as proud of these rude nicknames as he would had
he invented them and taken out a patent.

But Riley's greatest stroke of wit came one morning
when he caught Jack Dudley milking the cow. In the
village of Greenbank, milking a cow was regarded as a
woman's work ; and foolish men and boys are like sav-
ages, very much ashamed to be found doing a woman's
work. Fools always think something else more disgrace-
ful than idleness. So, having seen Jack milking, Riley
came to school happy. He had an arrow to shoot that
would give great delight to the small boys.

KING MILKMAID. 21

"Good-morning, milkmaid!" he said to Jack Dud-
ley, as he entered the school-house before school. " You
milk the cow at your house, do you ? Where's your
apron ? "

" Oh-h ! Milkmaid ! milkmaid ! That's a good one,"
chimed in Pevvee Rose and all his set

Jack changed color.

" Well, what if I do milk my mother's cow ? I don't
milk anybody's cow but ours, do I ? Do you think I'm
ashamed of it ? I'd be ashamed not to. I can " but
he stopped a minute and blushed " I can wash dishes,
and make good pancakes, too. Now if you want to
make fun, why, make fun. I don't care." But he did
care, else why should his voice choke in that way ?

" Oh, girl-boy ; a pretty girl-boy you are " but

here Will Riley stopped and stammered. There right in
front of him was the smiling face of Susan Lanham, with
a look in it which made him suddenly remember some-
thing. Susan had heard all the conversation, and now
she came around in front of Will, while all the other girls
clustered about her with a vague expectation of sport.

" Come, Pewee, let's play ball," said Will.

" Ah, you're running away, now ; you're afraid of a
girl," said Susan, with a cutting little laugh, and a toss of
her black curls over her shoulder.

Will had already started for the ball-ground, but at
this taunt he turned back, thrust his hands into his pock-

22 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

ets, put on a swagger, and stammered : " No, I'm not
afraid of a girl, either."

" That's about all that he isn't afraid of," said Bob
Holliday.

"Oh! you're not afraid of a girl?" said Susan.
" What did you run away for, when you saw me ? You
know that Pewee won't fight a girl. You're afraid of
anybody that Pewee can't whip."

" You've got an awful tongue, Susan. We'll call you
Sassy Susan," said Will, laughing at his own joke.

" Oh, it isn't my tongue, you're afraid of now. You
know I can tell on you. I saw you drive your cow into
the stable last week. You were ashamed to milk out-
side, but you looked all around "

" I didn't do it. How could you see ? It was dark,"
and Will giggled foolishly, seeing all at once that he had
betrayed himself.

" It was nearly dark, but I happened to be where I
could see. And as I was coming back, a few minutes
after, I saw you come out with a pail of milk, and look
around you like a sneak-thief. You saw me and hurried
away. You are such a coward that you are ashamed
to do a little honest work. Milkmaid ! Girlboy ! Cow-
ard ! And Pewee Rose lets you lead him around by
the nose !"

" You'd better be careful what you say, Susan," said
Pevyee, threateningly.

KING MILKMAID. 23

"You won't touch me. You go about bullying little
boys, and calling yourself King Pewee, but you can't do
a sum in long division, nor in short subtraction, for that
matter, and you let fellows like Riley make a fool of you.
Your father's poor, and your mother can't keep a girl,
and you ought to be ashamed to let her milk the cow.
Who milked your cow this morning, Pewee ? "

" I don't know," said the king, looking like the
king's fool.

"You did it," said Susan. "Don't deny it. Then
you come here and call a strange boy a milkmaid ! "

"Well, I didn't milk in the street, anyway, and he
did." At this, all laughed aloud, and Susan's victory
was complete. She only said, with a pretty toss of her
head, as she turned away : " King Milkmaid !

Pewee found the nickname likely to stick. He was
obliged to declare on the playground the next day, that
he would " thrash " any boy that said anything about
milkmaids. After that, he heard no more of it. But
one morning he found " King Milkmaid " written on the
door of his father's cow-stable. Some boy who dared
not attack Pewee, had vented his irritation by writing the
hateful words on the stable, and on the fence-corners
near the school-house, and even on the blackboard.

Pewee could not fight with Susan Lanham, but he
made up his mind to punish the new scholar when he
should have a chance. He must give somebody a beating.

CHAPTER III.

ANSWERING BACK.

IT is hard for one boy to make a fight. Even your
bully does not like to " pitch on " an inoffensive school-
mate. You remember ^Esop's fable of the wolf and the
lamb, and what pains the wolf took to pick a quarrel
with the lamb. It was a little hard for Pewee to fight
with a boy who walked quietly to and from the school,
without giving anybody cause for offence.

But the chief reason why Pewee did not attack him
with his fists was that both he and Riley had found out
that Jack Dudley could help them over a hard place in
their lessons better than anybody else. And notwith-
standing their continual persecution of Jack, they were
mean enough to ask his assistance, and he, hoping to
bring about peace by good-nature, helped them to get
out their geography and arithmetic almost every day.
Unable to appreciate this, they were both convinced that
Jack only did it because he was afraid of them, and as
they found it rare sport to abuse him, they kept it up.
By their influence Jack was shut out of the plays. A
greenhorn would spoil the game, they said. What did a

ANSWERING BACK. 25

boy that had lived on Wildcat Creek, in the Indian
Reserve, know about playing bull-pen, or prisoner's
base, or shinny? If he was brought in, they would go
out.

But the girls, and the small boys, and good-hearted
Bob Holliday liked Jack's company very much. Yet,
Jack was a boy, and he often longed to play games with
the others. He felt very sure that he could dodge and
run in " bull-pen " as well as any of them. He was very
tired of Riley's continual ridicule, which grew worse as
Riley saw in him a rival in influence with the smaller
boys.

" Catch Will alone sometimes," said Bob Holliday,
" when Pewee isn't with him, and then thrash him.
He'll back right down if you bristle up to him. If
Pewee makes a fuss about it, I'll look after Pewee. I'm
bigger than he is, and he won't fight with me. What do
you say ? "

" I sha'n't fight unless I have to."

" Afraid ? " asked Bob, laughing.

" It isn't that. I don't think I'm much afraid, al-
though I don't like to be pounded or to pound anybody.
I think I'd rather be whipped than to be made fun of,
though. But my father used to say that people who
fight generally do so because they are afraid of some-
body else, more than they are of the one they fight
with."

2 6 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

"I believe that's a fact," said Bob. "But Riley
aches for a good thrashing."

" I know that, and I feel like giving him one, or tak-
ing one myself, and I think I shall fight him before I've
done. But Father used to say that fists could never set-
tle between right and wrong. They only show which is
the stronger, and it is generally the mean one that gets
the best of it."

"That's as sure as shootin'," said Bob. "Pewee
could use you up. Pewee thinks he's the king, but
laws! he's only Riley's bull-dog. Riley is afraid of him,
but he manages to keep the dog on his side all the time."

" My father used to say," said Jack, " that brutes
could fight with force, but men ought to use their wits."

" You seem to think a good deal of what your father
says, like it was your Bible, you know."

" My father's dead," replied Jack.

" Oh, that's why. Boys don't always pay attention
to what their father says when he's alive."

" Oh, but then my father was " "Here Jack

checked himself, for fear of seeming to boast. " You
see," he went on, " my father knew a great deal. He
was so busy with his books that he lost 'most all his
money, and then we moved to the Indian Reserve, and
there he took the fever and died ; and then we came
down here, where we owned a house, so that I could go
to school."

ANSWERING BACK. 27

" Why don't you give Will Riley as good as he
sends ? " said Bob, wishing to get away from melancholy
subjects. " You have got as good a tongue as his."

" I haven't his stock of bad words though."

" You've got a power of fun in you, though, you
keep everybody laughing when you want to, and if you'd
only turn the pumps on him once, he'd howl like a yel-
low dog that's had a quart o' hot suds poured over him
out of a neighbor's window. Use your wits, like your
father said. You've lived in the woods till you're as shy
as a flying-squirrel. All you've got to do is to talk up
and take it rough and tumble, like the rest of the world.
Riley can't bear to be laughed at, and you can make
him ridiculous as easy as not."

The next day, at the noon recess, about the time that
Jack had finished helping Bob Holliday to find some
places on the map, there came up a little shower, and the
boys took refuge in the school-house. They must have
some amusement, so Riley began his old abuse.

" Well, greenhorn from the Wildcat, where's the black
sheep you stole that suit of clothes from ? "

" I hear him bleat now," said Jack, " about the
blackest sheep I have ever seen."

" You've heard the truth for once, Riley," said Bob
Holliday.

Riley, who was as vain as a peacock, was very much
mortified by the shout of applause with which this little

' 28 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

retort of Jack's was greeted. It was not a case in which
he could call in King Pewee. The king, for his part,
shut up his fists and looked silly, while Jack took courage
to keep up the battle.

But Riley tried again.

" I say, Wildcat, you think you're smart, but you're
a double-distilled idiot, and haven't got brains enough to
be sensible of your misery."

This kind of outburst on Riley's part always brought
a laugh from the school. But before the laugh had died
down, Jack Dudley took the word, saying, in a dry and
quizzical way :

" Don't you try to claim kin with me that way, Riley.
No use ; I won't stand it. I don't belong to your family.
I'm neither a fool nor a coward."

" Hurrah ! " shouted Bob Holliday, bringing down
first one and then the other of his big feet on the floor.
" It's your put-in now, Riley."

" Don't be backward in coming forward, Will, as the
Irish priest said to his people," came from grave Harvey
Collins, who here looked up from his book, thoroughly
enjoying the bully's discomfiture.

"That's awfully good," said Joanna Merwin, clasping
her hands and giggling with delight.

King Pewee doubled up his fists and looked at Riley
to see if he ought to try his sort. of wit on Jack. If a
frog, being pelted to death by cruel boys, should turn

ANSWERING BACK. 2Q

and pelt them again, they could not be more surprised
than were Riley and King Pewee at Jack's repartees.

" You'd better be careful what you say to Will Riley,"
said Pewee. " I stand by him."

But Jack's blood was up now, and he was not to be
scared.

" All the more shame to him," said Jack. <l Look at
me, shaken all to pieces with the fever and ague on the
Wildcat, and look at that great big, bony coward of
a Riley. I've done him no harm, but he wants to abuse
me, and he's afraid of me. He daren't touch me. He
has to coax you to stand by him, to protect him from
poor little me. He's a great big "

" Calf," broke in Bob Holliday, with a laugh.

" You'd better be careful," said Pewee to Jack, rising
to his feet. " I stand by Riley."

" Will you defend him if I hit him ? "

"Yes."

" Well, then, I won't hit him. But you don't mean
that he is to abuse me, while I am not allowed to answer
back a word ? "

" Well " said Pewee, hesitatingly.

" Well," said Bob Holliday, hotly, " I say that Jack
has just as good a right to talk with his tongue as Riley.
Stand by Riley if he's hit, Pewee : he needs it. But
don't you try to shut up Jack." And Bob got up and
put his broad hand on Jack's shoulder. Nobody had

30 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

ever seen the big fellow angry before, and the excitement
was very great. The girls clapped their hands.

" Good for you, Bob, I say," came from Susan Lan-
ham, and poor ungainly Bob blushed to his hair to find
himself the hero of the girls.

" I don't mean to shut up Jack," said Pewee, looking
at Bob's size, " but I stand by Riley."

" Well, do your standing sitting down, then," said
Susan. " I'll get a milking-stool for you, if that '11 keep
you quiet."

It was well that the master came in just then, or
Pewee would have had to fight somebody or burst.

CHAPTER IV.

LITTLE CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.

JACK'S life in school was much more endurable now that
he had a friend in Bob Holliday. Bob had spent his
time in hard work and in rough surroundings, but he had
a gentleman's soul, although his manners and speech
were rude. More and more Jack found himself drawn to
him. Harvey Collins asked Jack to walk down to the
river-bank with him at recess. Both Harvey and Bob
soon liked Jack, who found himself no longer lonely.
The girls also sought his advice about their lessons, and
the younger boys were inclined to come over to his side.

As winter came on, country boys, anxious to learn
something about " reading, writing, and ciphering,"
came into the school. Each of these new-comers had
to go through a certain amount of teasing from Riley
and of bullying from Pewee.

One frosty morning in December there appeared
among the new scholars a strange little fellow, with a
large head, long straight hair, an emaciated body, and
legs that looked like reeds, they were so slender. His
clothes were worn and patched, and he had the look of

32 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

having been frost-bitten. He could net have been more
than ten years old, to judge by his size, but there was a
look of premature oldnecs in his face.

"Come here!" said the master, when he caught
sight of him. "What is your name?" And Mr. Ball
took out his book to register the new-comer, with much
the same relish that the Giant Despair showed when he
had bagged a fresh pilgrim.

" Columbus Risdale." The new-comer spoke in a
shrill, piping voice, as strange as his weird face and
withered body.

" Is that your full name ? " asked the master.

" No, sir," piped the strange little creature.

" Give your full name," said Mr. Ball, sternly.

" My name is Christopher Columbus George Wash-
ington Marquis de Lafayette Risdale." The poor lad
was the victim of that mania which some people have for
"naming after" great men. His little shrunken body
and high, piping voice made his name seem so incongru-
ous that all the school tittered, and many laughed out-
right. But the dignified and eccentric little fellow did
not observe it.

" Can you read ? "

"Yes, sir," squeaked the lad, more shrilly than ever.

" Umph," said the master, with a look of doubt on
his face. " In the first reader? "

" No, sir ; in the fourth reader."

LITTLE CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 33

Even the master could not conceal his look of aston-
ishment at this claim. At that day, the fourth reader
class was the highest in the school, and contained only
the largest scholars. The school laughed at the bare
notion of little Christopher Columbus reading in the
fourth reader, and the little fellow looked around the
room, puzzled to guess the cause of the merriment.

"We'll try you," said the nfaster, with suspicion.
When the fourth-reader class was called, and Harvey Col-
lins and Susan Lanham and some others of the nearly
grown-up pupils came forward, with Jack Dudley as
quite the youngest of the class, the great- eyed, emaciated
little Columbus Risdale picked himself up on his pipe-
stems and took his place at the end of this row.

It was too funny for anything !

Will Riley and Pewee and other large scholars, who
were yet reading in that old McGuffey's Third Reader,
which had a solitary picture of Bonaparte crossing the
Alps, looked with no kindly eyes on this preposterous
infant in the class ahead of them.

The piece to be read was the poem of Mrs. Hemans's
called " The Better Land." Poems like this one are
rather out of fashion nowadays, and people are inclined
to laugh a little at Mrs. Hemans. But thirty years
ago her religious and sentimental poetry was greatly
esteemed. This one presented no difficulty to the
readers. In that day, little or no attention was paid to

34 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

inflection the main endeavor being to pronounce the
words without hesitation or slip, and to " mind the stops."
Each one of the class read a stanza ending with a line :

" Not there, not there, my child ! "

The poem was exhausted before all had read, so that
it was necessary to begin over again in order to give each
one his turn. All waited to hear the little Columbus read.
When it came his turn, the school was as still as death.
The master, wishing to test him, told him, with something
like a sneer, that he could read three stanzas, or " verses,"
as Mr. Ball called them.

The little chap squared his toes, threw his head back,
and more fluently even than the rest, he read, in his
shrill, eager voice, the remaining lines, winding up each
stanza in a condescending tone, as he read :

" Not there, not there, my child ! "

The effect of this from the hundred-year-old baby was
so striking and so ludicrous that everybody was amused,
while all were surprised at the excellence of his reading.
The master proceeded, however, to whip one or two of
the boys for laughing.

When recess-time arrived, Susan Lanham came to
Jack with a request.

" I wish you'd look after little Lummy Risdale. He's
a sort of cousin of my mother's. He is as innocent and
helpless as the babes in the wood."

LITTLE CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 35

" I'll take care of him," said Jack.

So he took the little fellow walking away from the
school-house ; Will Riley and some of the others calling
after them : " Not there, not there, my child ! "

But Columbus did not lay their taunts to heart. He
was soon busy talking to Jack about things in the country,
and things in town. On their return, Riley, crying out :
"Not there, my child !" threw a snow-ball from a dis-
tance of ten feet and struck the poor little Christopher
Columbus George Washington Lafayette so severe a blow
as to throw him off his feet. Quick as a flash, Jack charged
on Riley, and sent a snow-ball into his face. An instant
later, he tripped him with his foot and rolled the big,
scared fellow into the snow and washed his face well,
leaving half a snow-bank down his back.

" What makes you so savage ? " whined Riley. " I
didn't snow-ball you." And Riley looked around for
Pewee, who was on the other side of the school-house,
and out of sight of the scuffle.

" No, you daren't snow-ball me," said Jack, squeez-
ing another ball and throwing it into Riley's shirt-front
with a certainty of aim that showed that he knew how to
play ball. " Take that one, too, and if you bother Lum
Risdale again, I'll make you pay for it. Take a boy of
your size." And with that he moulded yet another ball,
but Riley retreated to the other side of the school-house.

CHAPTER V.

WHILING AWAY TIME.

EXCLUDED from the plays of the older fellows, Jack
drew around him a circle of small boys, who were always
glad to be amused with the stories of hunting, fishing,
and frontier adventure that he had heard from old
pioneers on Wildcat Creek. Sometimes he played " tee-
tah-toe, three in a row," with the girls, using a slate and
pencil in a way well known to all school-children. And
he also showed them a better kind of
" tee-tah-toe," learned on the Wildcat,
and which may have been in the first
place an Indian game, as it is played
with grains of Indian corn. A piece
of board is grooved with a jack-knife in
the manner shown in the diagram.
One player has three red or yellow grains of corn,
and the other an equal number of white ones. The
player who won the last game has the " go "- that is, he
first puts down a grain of corn at any place where the
lines intersect, but usually in the middle, as that is the
best point. Then the other player puts down one, and

DIAGRAM OF
TEE-TAH-TOF. BOAR!

WHILING AWAY TIME. 39

so on until all are down. After this, the players move
alternately along any of the lines, in any direction, to the
next intersection, provided it is not already occupied.
The one who first succeeds in getting his three grains in
a row wins the point, and the board is cleared for a new
start. As there are always three vacant points, and as
the rows may be formed in any direction along any of the
lines, the game gives a chance for more variety of com-
binations than one would expect from its appearance.

Jack had also an arithmetical puzzle which he had
learned from his father, and which many of the readers
of this story will know, perhaps.

" Set down any number, without letting me know
what it is," said he to Joanna Merwin.

She set down a number.

" Now add twelve and multiply by two."

" Well, that is done," said Joanna.

" Divide by four, subtract half of the number first set
down, and your answer will be six."

" Oh, but how did you know that I put down sixty-
four ? " said Joanna.

" I didn't," said Jack.

" How could you tell the answer, then ? "

" That's for you to find out."

This puzzle excited a great deal of curiosity. To add
to the wonder of the scholars, Jack gave each time a
different number to be added in, and sometimes he

40 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

varied the multiplying and dividing. Harvey Collins,
who was of a studious turn, puzzled over it a long time,
and at last he found it out ; but. he did not tell the secret.
He contented himself with giving out a number to Jack
and telling his result. To the rest it was quite miracu-
lous, and Riley turned green with jealousy When he found
the girls and boys refusing to listen to his jokes, but
gathering about Jack to test his ability to " guess the
answer," as they phrased it. Riley said he knew how it
was done, and he was even foolish enough to try to do
it, by watching the slate-pencil, or by sheer guessing,
but this only brought .him into ridicule.

" Try me once," said the little C. C. G. W. M. de L.
Risdale, and Jack let Columbus set down a figure and
carry it through the various processes until he told him
the result. Lummy grew excited, pushed his thin hands
up into his hair, looked at his slate a minute, and then
squeaked out :

" Oh let me see yes no yes Oh, I see ! Your
answer is just half the amount added in, because you
have "

But here Jack placed his hand over Columbus's mouth.

" You can see through a pine door, Lummy, but you
mustn't let out my secret," he said.

But Jack had a boy's heart in him, and he longed for
some more boy-like amusement.

CHAPTER VI.

A BATTLE.

ONE morning, when Jack proposed to play a game of ball
with the boys, Riley and Pewee came up and entered the
game, and objected.

" It isn't interesting to play with greenhorns," said
Will. " If Jack plays, little Christopher Columbus And-
soforth will want to play, too ; and then there'll be two
babies to teach. I can't be always helping babies. Let
Jack play two-hole cat or Anthony-over with the little
fellows." To which answer Pewee assented, of course.

That day at noon Riley came to Jack, with a most
gentle tone and winning manner, and whiningly begged
Jack to show him how to divide 770 by 14.

" It isn't interesting to show greenhorns," said Jack,
mimicking Riley's tone on the playground that morning.
" If I show you, Pewee Rose will want me to show him ;
then there'll be two babies to teach. I can't be always
helping babies. Go and play two-hole cat with the First-
Reader boys."

That afternoon, Mr. Ball had the satisfaction of using
his new beech switches on both Riley and Pewee, though
indeed Pewee did not deserve to be punished for not get-

42 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

ting his lesson. It was Nature's doing that his head, like
a goat's, was made for butting and not for thinking.

But if he had to take whippings from the master and
his father, he made it a rule to get satisfaction out of some-
body else. If Jack had helped him he wouldn't have
missed. If he had not missed his lesson badly, Mr. Ball
would not have whipped him. It would be inconvenient
to whip Mr. Ball in return, but Jack would be easy to
manage, and as somebody must be whipped, it fell to
Jack's lot to take it.

King Pewee did not fall upon his victim at the school-
house door this would have insured him another beating
from the master. Nor did he attack Jack while Bob Hol-
liday was with him. Bob was big and strong a great
fellow of sixteen. But after Jack had passed the gate of
Bob's house, and was walking on toward home alone,
Pewee came out from behind an alley fence, accompanied
by Ben Berry and Will Riley.

" I'm going to settle with you now," said King Pewee,
sidling up to Jack like an angry bull-dog.

It was not a bright prospect for Jack, and he cast
about him for a chance to escape a brutal encounter with
such a bully, and yet avoid actually running away.

" Well," said Jack, " if I must fight, I must. But I
suppose you won't let Riley and Berry help you."

" No, I'll fight fair." And Pewee threw off his coat,
while Jack did the same.

A BATTLE. 43

" You'll quit when I say ' enough,' won't you ? " said
Jack.

"Yes, I'll fight fair, and hold up when you've got
enough."

"Well, then, for that matter, I've got enough now.
I'll take the will for the deed, and just say ' enough ' be-
fore you begin," and he turned to pick up his coat.

" No, you don't get off that way," said Pewee.
" You've got to stand up and see who is the best man, or
I'll kick you all the way home."

" Didn't you ever hear about Davy Crockett's 'coon ? "
said Jack. " When the 'coon saw him taking aim, it
said : ' Is that you, Crockett ? Well, don't fire I'll come
down anyway. I know you'll hit anything you shoot at.'
Now, I'm that 'coon. If it was anybody but you, I'd fight.
But as it's you, Pewee, I might just as well come down
before you begin."

Pewee was flattered by this way of putting the
question. Had he been alone, Jack would have escaped.
But Will Riley, remembering all he had endured from
Jack's retorts, said :

" Oh, give it to him, Pewee ; he's always making
trouble."

At which Pewee squared himself off, doubled up
his fists, and came at the slenderer Jack. The latter
prepared to meet him, but, after all, it was hard for
Pewee to beat so good-humored a fellow as Jack. The

44 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL- BOY.

king's heart failed him, and suddenly he backed off,
saying :

" If you'll agree to help Riley and me out with our
lessons hereafter, I'll let you off. If you don't, I'll thrash
you within an inch of your life." And Pewee stood
ready to begin.

Jack wanted to escape the merciless beating that
Pewee had in store for him. But it was quite impossible
for him to submit under a threat. So he answered :

" If you and Riley will treat me as you ought to, I'll
help you when you ask me, as I always have. But even
if you pound me into jelly I won't agree to help you,
unless you treat me right. I won't be bullied into help-
ing you."

" Give it to him, Pewee," said Ben Berry ; " he's too
sassy."

Pewee was a rather good-natured dog he had to be
set on. He now began to strike at Jack. Whether he
was to be killed or not, Jack did not know, but he was
resolved not to submit to the bully. Yet he could not
do much at defence against Pewee's hard fists. However,
Jack was active and had long limbs ; he soon saw that he
must do something more than stand up to be beaten.
So, when King Pewee, fighting in the irregular Western
fashion, and hoping to get a decided advantage at once,
rushed upon Jack and pulled his head forward, Jack
stooped lower than his enemy expected, and, thrusting

A BATTLE. 45

his head between Pevvee's knees, shoved his legs from
under him, and by using all his strength threw Pewee
over his own back, so that the king's nose and eyes
fell into the dust of the village street.

" I'll pay you for that," growled Pewee, as he re-'
covered himself, now thoroughly infuriated ; and with a
single blow he sent Jack flat on his back, and then
proceeded to pound him. Jack could do nothing now
but shelter his eyes from Pewee's blows.

Joanna Merwin had seen the beginning of the battle
from her father's house, and feeling sure that Jack would
be killed, she had run swiftly down the garden walk to
the back gate, through which she slipped into the alley ;
and then she hurried on, as fast as her feet would carry
her, to the blacksrnith-shop of Pewee Rose's father.

" Oh, please, Mr. Rose, come quick ! Pewee's just
killing a boy in the street."

" Vitin' ag'in," said Mr. Rose, who was a Pennsylvan-
ian from the limestone country, and spoke" English with
difficulty. " He ees a leetle ruffen, dat poy. I'll see
apout him right avay a'ready, may be."

And without waiting to put off his leathern apron, he
walked briskly in the direction indicated by Joanna. Pewee
was hammering Jack without pity, when suddenly he was
caught by the collar and lifted sharply to his feet.

" Wot you doin' down dare in de dirt wunst a'ready ?
Hey ? " said Mr. Rose, as he shook his son with the full

46 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL- BOY.

force of his right arm, and cuffed him with his left hand.
" Didn't I dells you I'd gill you some day if you didn't
gwit vitin' mit oder poys, a'ready ? "

" He commenced it," whimpered Pewee.

" You dells a pig lie a'ready, I beleefs, Peter, and I'll
whip you fur lyin' besides wunst more. Fellers like him,"
pointing to Jack, who' was brushing the dust off his clothes,
" fellers like him don't gommence on such a poy as you.
You're such anoder viter I never seed." And he shook
Pewee savagely.

" I won't do it no more," begged Pewee " 'pon my
word and honor I won't."

" Oh, you don't gits off dat away no more, a'ready.
You know what I'll giff you when I git you home, you
leedle ruffen. I shows you how to vite, a'ready."

And the king disappeared down the street, begging
like a spaniel, and vowing that he " wouldn't do it no
more." But he got a severe whipping, I fear ; it is doubt-
ful if such beatings ever do any good. The next morning
Jack appeared at school with a black eye, and Pewee had
some scratches, so the master whipped them both for
fighting.

CHAPTER VII.

HAT-BALL AND BULL-PEN.

PEWEE did not renew the quarrel with Jack perhaps
from fear of the rawhide that hung in the blacksmith's
shop, or of the master's ox-gad, or of Bob Holliday's
fists, or perhaps from a hope of conciliating Jack and get-
ting occasional help in his lessons. Jack was still excluded
from the favorite game of " bull-pen." I am not sure that
he would have been rejected had he asked for admission,
but he did not want to risk another refusal. He planned
a less direct way of getting into the game. Asking his
mother for a worn-out stocking, and procuring an old
boot-top, he ravelled the stocking, winding the yarn into
a ball of medium hardness. Then he cut from the boot-
top a square of leather large enough for his purpose.
This he laid on the kitchen -table, and proceeded to mark
off and cut it into the shape of an orange-peel that has
been quartered off the orange, leaving the four quarters
joined together at the middle. This leather he put to
soak over night. The next morning, bright and early,
with a big needle and some strong thread he sewed it
around his yarn-ball, stretching the wet leather to its ut-

48 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

most, so that when it should contract the ball should be
firm and hard, and the leather well moulded to it. Such a
ball is far better for all play in which the player is to be
hit than those sold in the stores nowadays. I have de-
scribed the manufacture of the old-fashioned home-made
ball, because there are some boys, especially in the towns,
who have lost the art of making yarn balls.

When Jack had finished his ball, he let it dry, while
he ate his breakfast and did his chores. Then he
sallied out and found Bob Holliday, and showed him the
result of his work. Bob squeezed it, felt its weight,
bounced it against a wall, tossed it high in the air, caught
it, and then bounced it on the ground. Having thus
" put it through its paces," he pronounced it an excellent
ball, "a good deal better than Ben Berry's ball. But
what are you going to do with it ? " he asked. " Play
Anthony-over ? The little boys can play that."

I suppose there are boys in these days who do not
know what " Anthony-over " is. How, indeed, can any-
body play Anthony-over in a crowded city ?

The old one-story village school-houses stood gener-
ally in an open green. The boys divided into two
parties, the one going on one side, and the other on the
opposite side of the school-house. The party that had
the ball would shout " Anthony ! " The others re-
sponded, " Over ! " To this, answer was made from
the first party, " Over she comes ! " and the ball was

HAT-BALL AND BULL-PEN. 49

immediately thrown over the school-house. If any of
the second party caught it, they rushed, pell-mell, around
both ends of the school-house to the other side, and that
one of them who held the ball essayed to hit some one
of the opposite party before they could exchange sides.
If a boy was hit by the ball thus thrown he was counted
as captured to the opposite party, and he gave all his
efforts to beat his old allies. So the game went on, until
all the players of one side were captured by the others.
I don't know what Anthony means in this game, but no
doubt the game is hundreds of years old, and was played
in English villages before the first colony came to James-
town.

" I'm not going to play Anthony-over," said Jack.
" I'm going to show King Pewee a new trick."

" You can't get up a game of bull-pen on your own
hook, and play the four corners and the ring all by your-
self."

" No, I don't mean that. I'm going to show the
boys how to play hat-ball a game they used to play
on the Wildcat."

" I see your point. You are going to make Pewee
ask you to let him in," said Bob, and the two boys set
out for school together, Jack explaining the game to
Bob. They found one or two boys already there, and
when Jack showed his new ball and proposed a new
game, they fell in with it.
3

5O THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

The boys stood their hats in a row on the grass. The
one with the ball stood over the row of hats, and"5wung
his hand to and fro above them, while the boys stood by
him, prepared to run as soon as the ball should drop
into a hat. The boy who held the ball, after one or two
false motions, now toward this hat, and now toward
that one, would drop the ball into Somebody's hat.
Somebody would rush to his hat, seize the ball, and
throw it at one of the other boys who were fleeing in
all directions. If he hit Somebody-Else, Somebody-Else
might throw from where the ball lay, or from the hats,
at the rest, and so on, until some one missed. The one
who missed took up his hat and left the play, and the
boy who picked up the ball proceeded to drop it into a
hat, and the game went on until all but one were put out.

Hat-ball is so simple that any number can play at it,
and Jack's friends found it so full of boisterous fun, that
every new-comer wished to set down his hat. And thus,
by the time Pewee and Riley arrived, half the larger boys
in the school were in the game, and there were not
enough left to make a good game of bull-pen.

At noon, the new game drew the attention of the boys
again, and Riley and Pewee tried in vain to coax them
away.

"Oh, I say, come on, fellows!" Riley would say.
" Come let's play something worth playing."

But the boys stayed by the new game and the new ball

HAT-BALL AND BULL-PEN.

Neither Riley, nor Pewee, nor Ben Berry liked to ask to
be let into the game, after what had passed. Not one of
them had spoken to Jack since the battle between him
and Pewee, and they didn't care to play with Jack's ball
in a game of his starting.

Once the other boys had broken away from Pewee's
domination, they were pleased to feel themselves free.
As for Pewee and his friends, they climbed up on a fence,
and sat like three crows watching the play of the others.
After a while they got down in disgust, and went off, not
knowing just what to do. When once they were out of
sight, Jack winked at Bob, who said :

" I say, boys, we can play hat-ball at recess when
there isn't time for bull-pen. Let's have a game of bull-
pen now, before school takes up."

It was done in a minute. Bob Holliday and Tom
Taylor " chose up sides," the bases were all ready, and
by the time Pewee and his aids-de-camp had walked dis-
consolately to the pond and back, the boys were engaged
in a good game of bull-pen.

Perhaps I ought to say something about the princi-
ples of a game so. little known over the country at large.
I have never seen it played anywhere but in a narrow bit
of country on the Ohio River, and yet there is no merrier
game played with a ball.

The ball must not be too hard. There should be four
or more corners. The space inside is called the pen, and

52 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

the party winning the last game always has the corners.
The ball is tossed from one corner to another, and when
it has gone around once, any boy on a corner may, imme-
diately after catching the ball thrown to him from any of
the four corners, throw it at any one in the pen. He
must throw while " the ball is hot," that is, instantly on
catching it. If he fails to hit anybody on the other side,
he goes out. If he hits, his side leave the corners and
run as they please, for the boy who has been hit may
throw from where the ball fell, or from any corner, at any
one of the side holding the corners. If one of them is
hit, he has the same privilege ; but now the men in the
pen are allowed to scatter also. Whoever misses is
" out," and the play is resumed from the corners until all
of one side is out. When but two are left on the corners
the ball is smuggled, that is. one hides the ball in his
bosom, and the other pretends that he has it also. The
boys in the ring do not know which has it, and the two
" run the corners," throwing from any corner. If but
one is left on the corners, he is allowed also to run from
corner to corner.

It happened that Jack's side lost on the toss-up for
corners, and he got into the ring, where his play showed
better than it would have done on the corners. As Jack
was the greenhorn and the last chosen on his side, the
players on the corners expected to make light work of
him ; but he was an adroit dodger, and he put out three

HAT-BALL AND BULL-PEN. 53

of the boys on the corners by his unexpected way of
evading a ball. Everybody who has ever played this
fine old game knows that expertness in dodging is worth
quite as much as skill in throwing. Pewee was a famous
hand with a ball, Riley could dodge well, Ben Berry had
a happy knack of dropping flat upon the ground and let-
ing a ball pass over him, Bob Holliday could run well in
a counter charge ; but nothing could be more effective
than Jack Dudley's quiet way of stepping forward or
backward, bending his lithe body or spreading his legs to
let the ball pass, according to the course which it took
from the player's hand.

King Pewee and company came back in time to see
Jack dodge three balls thrown point-blank at him from
a distance of fifteen feet. It was like witchcraft he
seemed to be charmed. Every dodge was greeted with
a shout, and when once he luckily caught the ball thrown
at him, and thus put out the thrower, there was no end
of admiration of his playing. It was now evident to all
that Jack could no longer be excluded from the game,
and that, next to Pewee himself, he was already the best
player on the ground.

At recess that afternoon, Pewee set his hat down in
the hat-ball row, and as Jack did not object, Riley and
Ben Berry did the same. The next day Pewee chose
Jack first in bull-pen, and the game was well played.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE DEFENDER.

IF Jack had not about this time undertaken the de-
fence of the little boy in the Fourth Reader, whose name
was large enough to cover the principal points in the his-
tory of the New World, he might have had peace, for
Jack was no longer one of the newest scholars, his cour-
age was respected by Pewee, and he kept poor Riley in
continual fear of his ridicule making him smart every
day. But, just when he might have had a little peace
and happiness, he became the defender of Christopher
Columbus George Washington Marquis de la Fayette
Risdale little " Andsoforth," as Riley and the other
boys had nicknamed him.

The strange, pinched little body of the boy, his ec-
centric ways, his quickness in learning, and his infantile
simplicity had all conspired to win the affection of Jack,
so that he would have protected him even without the
solicitation of Susan Lanham. But since Susan had been
Jack's own first and fast friend, he felt in honor bound to
run all risks in the care of her strange little cousin.

I think that Columbus's child-like ways might have
protected him even from Riley and his set, if it had not

THE DEFENDER. 55

been that he was related to Susan Lanham, and under
her protection. It was the only chance for Riley to re-
venge himself on Susan. She was more than a match
for him in wit, and she was not a proper subject for
Pewee's fists. So with that heartlessness which belongs
to the school-boy bully, he resolved to torment the
helpless fellow in revenge for Susan's sarcasms.

One morning, smarting under some recent taunt of
Susan's, Riley caught little Columbus almost alone in the
school-room. Here was a boy who certainly would not
be likely to strike back again. His bamboo legs, his
spindling arms, his pale face, his contracted chest, all
gave the coward a perfect assurance of safety. So, with
a rude pretence at play, laughing all the time, he caught
the lad by the throat, and in spite of his weird dignity
and pleading gentleness, shoved him back against the
wall behind the master's empty chair. Holding him
here a minute in suspense, he began slapping him, first
on this side of the face and then on that. The pale
cheeks burned red with pain and fright, but Columbus
did not cry out, though the constantly increasing sharp-
ness of the blows, and the sense of weakness, degrada-
tion, and terror, stung him severely. Riley thought it
funny. Like a cat playing with a condemned mouse, the
cruel fellow actually enjoyed finding one person weak
enough to be afraid of him.

Columbus twisted about in a vain endeavor to escape

56 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

from Riley's clutches, getting only a sharper cuff for his
pains. Ben Berry, arriving presently, enjoyed the sport,
while some of the smaller boys and girls, coming in, look-
ed on the scene of torture in helpless pity. And ever,
as more and more of the scholars gathered, Columbus
felt more and more mortified ; the tears were in his great
sad eyes, but he made no sound of crying or complaint.

Jack Dudley came in at last, and marched straight up
to Riley, who let go his hold and backed off. " You
mean, cowardly, pitiful villain ! " broke out Jack, advan-
cing on him.

" I didn't do anything to you," whined Riley, back-
ing into a corner.

" No, but I mean to do something to you. If there's
an inch of man in you, come right on and fight with me.
You daren't do it."

" I don't want any quarrel with you."

" No, you quarrel with babies."

Here all the boys and girls jeered.

" You're too hard on a fellow, Jack," whined the
scared Riley, slipping out of the corner and continuing to
back down the school-room, while Jack kept slowly
following him.

"You're a great deal bigger than I am," said Jack.
" Why don't you try to corner me ? Oh, I could just
beat the breath out of you, you great, big, good for
nothing "

THE DEFENDER. 57

Here Riley pulled the west door open, and Jack, at
the same moment, struck him. Riley half dropped, half
fell, through the door-way, scared so badly that he went
sprawling on the ground. ,

The boys shouted " coward " and " baby " after him
as he sneaked off, but Jack went back to comfort Col-
umbus and to get control of his temper. For it is not
wise, as Jack soon reflected, even in a good cause to lose
your self-control.

" It was good of you to interfere," said Susan, when
she had come in and learned all about it.

" I should have been a brute if I hadn't," said Jack,
pleased none the less with her praise. " But it doesn't
take any courage to back Riley out of a school-house.
One could get more fight out of a yearling calf. I sup-
pose I've got to take a beating from Pewee, though."

" Go and see him about it, before Riley talks to
him," suggested Susan. And Jack saw the prudence of
this course. As he left the school-house at a rapid
pace, Ben Berry told Riley, who was skulking behind a
fence, that Jack was afraid of Pewee.

"Pewee," said Jack, when he met him starting to
school, after having done his " chores," including the
milking of his cow, " Pewee, I want to say something to
you."

Jack's tone and manner flattered Pewee. One thing
that keeps a rowdy a rowdy is the thought that better

58 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

people despise him. Pewee felt in his heart that Jack
had a contempt for him, and this it was that made him
hate Jack in turn. But now that the latter sought him
in a friendly way, he felt himself lifted up into a dignity
hitherto unknown to him. " What is it ? "

" You are a kind of king among the boys," said Jack.
Pewee grew an inch taller.

"They are all afraid of you. Now, why don't you
make us fellows behave ? You ought to protect the little
boys from fellows that impose on them. Then you'd be
a king worth the having. All the boys and girls would
like you."

" I s'pose may be that's so," said the king.

" There's poor little Columbus Risdale "

" I don't like him," said Pewee.

" You mean you don't like Susan. She is a little sharp
with her tongue; But you wouldn't fight with a baby
it isn't like you."

" No, sir-ee," said Pewee.

" You'd rather take a big boy than a little one. Now,
you ought to make Riley let Lummy alone."

" I'll do that," said Pewee. " Riley's about a million
times bigger than Lum."

" I went to the school-house this morning," continued
Jack, "and I found Riley choking, and beating him.
And I thought I'd just speak to you, and see if you can't
make him stop it."

THE DEFENDER. 59

" I'll do that," said Pewee, walking along with great
dignity.

When Ben Berry and Riley saw Pewee coming in
company with Jack, they were amazed and hung their
heads, afraid to say anything even to each other. Jack
and Pewee walked straight up to the fence-corner in
which they stood.

" I thought I'd see what King Pewee would say
about your fighting with babies, Riley," said Jack.

" I want you fellows to understand," said Pewee, " that
I'm not going to have that little Lum Risdale hurt. If
you want to fight, why don't you fight somebody your own
size ? I don't fight babies myself," and here Pewee drew
his head up, " and I don't stand by any boy that does."

Poor Riley felt the last support drop from under him.
Pewee had deserted him, and he was now an orphan, un-
protected in an unfriendly world !

Jack knew that the truce with so vain a fellow as
Pewee could not last long, but it served its purpose for
the time. And when, after school, Susan Lanham took
pains to go and thank Pewee for standing up for Colum-
bus, Pewee felt himself every inch a king, and for the
time he was if not a " reformed prize-fighter," such as
one hears of sometimes, at least an improved boy. The
trouble with vain people like Pewee is, that they have no
stability. They bend the way the wind blows, and for
the most part the wind blows from the wrong quarter.

CHAPTER IX.

PIGEON POT-PIE.

HAPPY boys and girls that go to school nowadays !
You have to study harder than the generations before
you, it is true ; you miss the jolly spelling-schools, and
the good old games that were not half so scientific as
base-ball, lawn tennis, or lacrosse, but that had ten times
more fun and frolic in them ; but all this is made up to
you by the fact that you escape the tyrannical old master.
Whatever the faults the teachers of this day may have,
they do not generally lacerate the backs of their pupils,
as did some of their fore-runners.

At the time of which I write, thirty years ago, a bet-
ter race of school-masters was crowding out the old, but
many of the latter class, with their terrible switches and
cruel beatings, kept their ground until they died off one
by one, and relieved the world of their odious ways.

Mr. Ball wouldn't die to please anybody. He was a
bachelor, and had no liking for children, but taught school
five or six months in winter to avoid having to work on a
farm in the summer. He had taught in Greenbank every
winter for a quarter of a century, and having never

PIGEON POT-PIE. 6l

learned to win anybody's affection, had been obliged to
teach those who disliked him. This atmosphere of
mutual dislike will sour the sweetest temper, and Mr.
Ball's temper had not been strained honey to begin with.
Year by year he grew more and more severe he whipped
for poor lessons, he whipped for speaking in school, he
took down his switch for not speaking loud enough in
class, he whipped for coming late to school, he whipped
because a scholar made a noise with his feet, and he
whipped because he himself had eaten something un-
wholesome for his breakfast. The brutality of a master
produces like qualities in scholars. The boys drew
caricatures on the blackboard, put living cats or dead
ones into Mr. Ball's desk, and tried to drive him wild by
their many devices.

He would walk up and down the school-room seeking
a victim, and he had as much pleasure in beating a girl or
a little boy as in punishing an overgrown fellow.

And yet I cannot say that Mr. Ball was impartial.
There were some pupils that escaped. Susan Lanham
was not punished, because her father, Dr. Lanham, was
a very influential man in the town ; and the faults of
Henry Weathervane and his sister were always over-
looked after their father became a school trustee.

Many efforts had been made to put a new master into
the school. But Mr. Ball's brother-in-law was one of the
principal merchants in the place, and the old man had had

62 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

the school so long that it seemed like robbery to deprive
him of it. It had come, in some sort, to belong to him.
People hated to see him moved. He would die some
day, they said, and nobody could deny that, though it
often seemed to the boys and girls that he would never
die ; he was more likely to dry up and blow away. And
it was a long time to wait for that.

And yet I think Greenbank might have had to wait for
something like that if there hadn't come a great flight of
pigeons just at this time. For whenever Susan Lanham
suggested to her father that he should try to get Mr. Ball
removed and a new teacher appointed, Dr. Lanham
smiled and said " he hated to move against the old man ;
he'd been there so long, you know, and he probably
wouldn't live long, anyhow. Something ought to be
done, perhaps, but he couldn't meddle with him." For
older people forgot the beatings they had endured, and
remembered the old man only as one of the venerable
landmarks of their childhood.

And so, by favor of Henry Weathervane's father,
whose children he did not punish, and by favor of other
people's neglect and forgetfulness, the Greenbank chil-
dren might have had to face and fear the old ogre down to
this day, or until he dried up and blew away, if it hadn't
been, as I said, that there came a great flight of pigeons.

A flight of pigeons is not uncommon in the Ohio
River country. Audubon, the great naturalist, saw them

PIGEON POT-PIE. 63

in his day, and in old colonial times such flights took
place in the settlements on the sea-board, and sometimes
the starving colonists were able to knock down pigeons
with sticks. The mathematician is not yet born who can
count the number of pigeons in one of these sky-darken-
ing flocks, which are often many miles in length, and which
follow one another for a whole day. The birds, for the
most part, fly at a considerable height from the earth, but
when they are crossing a wide valley, like that of the
Ohio River, they drop down to a lower level, and so
reach the hills quite close to the ground, and within easy
gunshot.

When the pigeon flight comes on Saturday, it is very
convenient for those boys that have guns. If these
pigeons had only come on Saturday instead of on Mon-
day, Mr. Ball might have taught the Greenbank school
until to-day, that is to say, if he hadn't died or quite
dried up and blown off meanwhile.

For when Riley and Ben Berry saw this flight of pigeons
begin on Monday morning, they remembered that the
geography lesson was a hard one, and so they played
"hooky," and, taking their guns with them, hid in the
bushes at the top of the hill. Then, as the birds struck
the hill, and beat their way up over the brow of it, the
boys, lying in ambush, had only to fire into the flock with-
out taking aim, and the birds would drop all around them.
The discharge of the guns made Bob Holliday so hungry

64 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

for pigeon pot-pie, that he, too, ran away from school, at
recess, and took his place among the pigeon-slayers in the
paw-paw patch on the hill top.

Tuesday morning, Mr. Ball came in with darkened
brows, and three extra switches. Riley, Berry, and Hol-
liday were called up as soon as school began. They had
pigeon pot-pie for dinner, but they also had sore backs
for three days, and Bob laughingly said that he knew just
how a pigeon felt when it was basted.

The day after the whipping and the pigeon pot-pie,
when the sun shone warm at noon, the fire was allowed to
go down in the stove. All were at play in the sunshine,
excepting Columbus Risdale, who sat solitary, like a dis-
consolate screech-owl, in one corner of the room. Riley
and Ben Berry, still smarting from yesterday, entered, and
without observing Lummy's presence, proceeded to put
some gunpowder in the stove, taking pains to surround it
with cool ashes, so that it should not explode until the
stirring of the fire, as the chill of the afternoon should
come on. When they had finished this dangerous trans-
action, they discovered the presence of Columbus in his
corner, looking at them with large-eyed wonder and alarm.

" If you ever tell a living soul about that, we'll kill
you," said Ben Berry.

Riley also threatened the scared little rabbit, and both
felt safe from detection.

An hour after school had resumed its session. Col-

PIGEON POT-PIE. 65

umbus, who had sat shivering with terror all the time,
wrote on his slate :

" Will Riley and Ben B. put something in the stove.
Said they would kill me if I told on them."

This he passed to Jack, who sat next to him. Jack
rubbed it out as soon as he had read it, and wrote :

" Don't tell anybody."

Jack could not guess what they had put in. It might
be coffee-nuts, which would explode harmlessly ; it might
be something that would give a bad smell in burning, such
as chicken -feathers. If he had thought that it was gun-
powder, he would have plucked up courage enough to
give the master some warning, though he might have got
only a whipping for his pains. While Jack was debating
what he should do, the master called the Fourth-Reader
class. At the close of the lesson he noticed that Colum-
bus was shivering, though indeed it was more from terror
than from cold.

" Go to the stove and stir up the fire, and get warm,"
he said, sternly.

" I'd I'd rather not," said Lum, shaking with fright
at the idea.

" Umph ! " said Mr. Ball, looking hard at the lad, with
half a mind to make him go. Then he changed his pur-
pose and went to the stove himself, raked forward the
coals, and made up the fire. Just as he was shutting the
stove-door, the explosion came the ashes flew out all

66 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

over the master, the stove was thrown down from the
bricks on which its four legs rested, the long pipe fell in
many pieces on the floor, and the children set up a gen-
eral howl in all parts of the room.

As soon as Mr. Ball had shaken off the ashes from his
coat, he said : " Be quiet there's no more danger. Co-
lumbus Risdale, come here."

" He did not do it," spoke up Susan Lanham.

" Be quiet, Susan. You know all about this," con-
tinued the master to poor little Columbus, who was so
frightened as hardly to be able to stand. After looking
at Columbus a moment, the master took down a great
beech switch. " Now, I shall whip you until you tell me
who did it. You were afraid to go the stove. You
knew there was powder there. Who put it there ? That's
the question. Answer, quick, or I shall make you."

The little skin-and-bones trembled between two ter-
rors, and Jack, seeing his perplexity, got up and stood by
him.

" He didn't do it, Mr. Ball. I know who did it. If
Columbus should tell you, he would be beaten for telling.
The boy who did it is just mean enough to let Lummy
get the whipping. Please let him off."

" You know, do you ? I shall whip you both. You
knew there was gunpowder in the fire, and you gave no
warning. I shall whip you both the severest whipping
you ever had, too."

PIGEON POT- PIE. 67

And the master put up the switch he had taken
down, as not effective enough, and proceeded to take
another.

" If we had known it was gunpowder," said Jack, be-
ginning to tremble, " you would have been warned. But
we didn't. We only knew that something had been put
in."

"If you'll tell all about it, I'll let you off easier; if
you don't, I shall give you all the whipping I know how
to give." And by way of giving impressiveness to his
threat he took a turn about the room, while there was an
awful stillness among the terrified scholars.

I do not know what was in Bob Holliday's head, but
about this time he managed to open the western door
while the master's back was turned. Bob's desk was
near the door.

Poor little Columbus was ready to die, and Jack was
afraid that, if the master should beat him as he threatened
to do, the child would die outright. Luckily, at the second
cruel blow, the master broke his switch and turned to get
another. Seeing the door open, Jack whispered to Colum-
bus :

" Run home as fast as you can go."

The little fellow needed no second bidding. He tot-
tered on his trembling legs to the door, and was out be-
fore Mr. Ball had detected the motion. When the master
saw his prey disappearing out of the door, he ran after

68 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

him, but it happened curiously enough, in the excitement,
that Bob Holliday, who sat behind the door, rose up, as
if to look out, and stumbled against the door, thus push-
ing it shut, so that by the time Mr. Ball got his stiff legs
outside the door, the frightened -child was under such
headway that, fearing to have the whole school in rebel-
lion, the teacher gave over the pursuit, and came back
prepared to wreak his vengeance on Jack.

While Mr. Ball was outside the door, Bob Holliday
called to Jack, in a loud whisper, that he had better run,
too, or the old master would " skin him alive." But Jack
had been trained to submit to authority, and to run away
now would lose him his winter's schooling, on which he
had set great store. He made up his mind to face the
punishment as best he could, fleeing only as a last resort
if the beating should be unendurable.

"Now," said the master to Jack, " will you tell me
who put that gunpowder in the stove ? If you don't, I'll
take it out of your skin."

Jack could not bear to tell, especially under a threat.
I think that boys are not wholly right in their notion that
it is dishonorable to inform on a school-mate, especially
in the case of so bad an offence as that of which Will and
Ben were guilty. But, on the other hand, the last thing
a master ought to seek is to turn boys into habitual spies
and informers on one another. In the present instance,
Jack ought, perhaps, to have told, for the offence was

PIGEON POT-PIE. 69

criminal ; but it is hard for a high-spirited lad to yield to
a brutal threat.

Jack caught sight of Susan Lanham telegraphing from
behind the master, by spelling with her fingers :

" Tell or run."

But he could not make up his mind to do either,
though Bob Holliday had again mysteriously opened the
western door.

The master summoned all his strength and struck him
half a dozen blows, that made poor Jack writhe. Then he
walked up and down the room awhile, to give the victim
time to consider whether he would tell or not

" Run," spelled out Susan on her fingers.

" The school-house is on fire ! " called out Bob Holli-
day. Some of the coals that had spilled from the cap-
sized stove were burning the floor not dangerously, but
Bob wished to make a diversion. He rushed for a pail
of water in the corner, and all the rest, aching with sup-
pressed excitement, crowded around the fallen stove, so
that it was hard for the master to tell whether there was
any fire or not. Bob whispered to Jack to " cut sticks,"
but Jack only went to his seat.

" Lay hold, boys, and let's put up the stove," said Bob,
taking the matter quite out of the master's hands. Of
course, the stove-pipe would not fit without a great deal
of trouble. Did ever stove-pipe go together without
trouble? Somehow, all the joints that Bob joined to-

70 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

gether flew asunder over and over again, though he
seemed to work most zealously to get the stove set up.
After half an hour of this confusion, the pipe was fixed,
and the master, having had time, like the stove, to cool
off, and seeing Jack bent over his book, concluded to let
the matter drop. But there are some matters that, once
taken up, are hard to drop.

CHAPTER X.

JACK AND HIS MOTHER.

JACK went home that night very sore on his back and
in his feelings. He felt humiliated to be beaten like a
dog, and even a dog feels degraded in being beaten. He
told his mother about it the tall, dignified, sweet-faced
mother, patient in trouble and full of a goodness that did
not talk much about goodness. She always took it for
granted that her boy would not do anything mean, and
thus made a healthy atmosphere for a brave boy to grow
in. Jack told her of his whipping, with some heat, while
he sat at supper. She did not say much then, but after
Jack's evening chores were all finished, she sat down by
the candle where he was trying to get out some sums,
and questioned him carefully.

" Why didn't you tell who did it ?" she asked.

" Because it makes a boy mean to tell, and all the boys
would have thought me a sneak."

" It is a little hard to face a general opinion like that,"
she said.

" But," said Jack, "if I. had told, the master would

72 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

have whipped Columbus all the same, and the boys
would probably have pounded him too. I ought to have
told beforehand," said Jack, after a pause. " But I
thought it was only some coffee-nuts that they had put
in. The mean fellows, to let Columbus take a whipping
for them ! But the way Mr. Ball beats us is enough to
make a boy mean and cowardly."

After a long silence, the mother said: "I think we
shall have to give it up, Jack."

" What, mother? "

" The schooling for this winter. I don't want you
to go where boys are beaten in that way. In the morn-
ing, go and get your books and see what you can do at
home."

Then, after a long pause, in which neither liked to
speak, Mrs. Dudley said :

" I want you to be an educated man. You learn
quickly ; you have a taste for books, and you will be
happier if you get knowledge. If I could collect the
money that Gray owes your father's estate, or even a
part of it, I should be able to keep you in school one
winter after this. But there seems to be no hope for
that."

" But Gray is a rich man, isn't he ? "

" Yes, he has a good deal of property, but not in
his own name. He persuaded your father, who was a
kind-hearted and easy-natured man, to release a mort-

JACK AND HIS MOTHER. 73

gage, promising to give him some other security the
next week. But, meantime, he put his property in such
a shape as to cheat all his creditors. " I don't think we
shall ever get anything."

" I am going to be an educated man, anyhow."

" But you will have to go to work at something next
fall," said the mother.

" That will make it harder, but I mean to study a
little every day. I wish I could get a chance to spend
next winter in school."

" We'll see what can be done."

And long after Jack went to bed that night the
mother sat still by the candle with her sewing, trying to
think what she could do to help her boy to get on with
his studies.

Jack woke up after eleven o'clock, and saw her light
still burning in the sitting-room.

" I say, mother," he called out, "don't you sit there
worrying about me. We shall come through this all
right."

Some of Jack's hopefulness got into the mother's
heart, and she took her light and went to bed.

Weary, and sore, and disappointed, Jack did not
easily get to sleep himself after his cheerful speech to
his mother. He lay awake long, making boy's plans
for his future. He would go and collect money by some
hook or crook from the rascally Gray ; he would make
4

74 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

a great invention ; he would discover a gold mine; he
would find some rich cousin who would send him through

college ; he would , but just then he grew more

wakeful and realized that all his plans had no foundation
of probability.

CHAPTER XI.

COLUMBUS AND HIS FRIENDS.

WHEN he waked up in the morning, Jack remembered
that he had not seen Columbus Risdale go past the door
after his cow the evening before, and he was afraid that
he might be ill. Why had he not thought to go down
and drive up the cow himself? It was yet early, and he
arose and went down to the little rusty, brown, un-
painted house in which the Risdales, who were poor
people, had their home. Just as he pushed open the
gate, Bob Holliday came out of the door, looking tired
and sleepy.

" Hello, Bob !" said Jack. " How's Columbus ? Is
he sick ? "

" Awful sick," said Bob. " Clean out of his head all
night."

" Have you been here all night ? "

"Yes, I heerd he was sick last night, and I come
over and sot up with him."

" You good, big-hearted Bob ! " said Jack. "You're
the best fellow in the world, I believe."

" What a quare feller you air to talk, Jack," said

THE HOOS1ER SCHOOL-BOY.

Bob, choking up. " Air you goin' to school to-
day ? "

" No. Mother 'd rather have me not go any more."

"I'm not going any more. I hate old Ball.
Neither's Susan Lanham going. She's in there," and
Bob made a motion toward the house with his thumb,
and passed out of the gate, while Jack knocked at the
door. He was admitted by Susan.

" Oh, Jack ! I'm so glad to see you," she whispered.
" Columbus has asked for you a good many times during
the night. You've stood by him splendidly."

Jack blushed, but asked how Lummy was now.

" Out of his head most of the time. Bob Holliday
staid with him all night. What a good fellow Bob Hol-
liday is ! "

"I almost hugged him, just now," said Jack, and
Susan couldn't help smiling at this frank confession.

Jack passed into the next room as stealthily as possi-
ble, that he might not disturb his friend, and paused by
the door. Mrs. Risdale sat by the bedside of Columbus,
who was sleeping uneasily, his curious big head and long-
thin hair making a strange picture against the pillow.
His face looked more meagre and his eyes more sunken
than ever before, but there was a feverish flush on his
wan cheeks, and the slender hands moved uneasily on the
outside of the blue coverlet, the puny arms were bare to
the elbows.

COLUMBUS AND HIS FRIENDS. 77

Mrs. Risdale beckoned Jack to come forward, and he
came and stood at the bed-foot. Then Columbus
opened his large eyes and fixed them on Jack for a
few seconds.

" Come, Jack, dear old fellow," he whispered.

Jack came and bent over him with tearful eyes, and
the poor little reed-like arms were twined about his neck.

" Jack," he sobbed, " the master's right over there in
the corner all the time, straightening out his long
switches. He says he's going to whip me again. But
you won't let him, will you, Jack, you good old fellow? "

" No, he sha'n't touch you."

" Let's run away, Jack," he said, presently. And
so the poor little fellow went on, his great disordered
brain producing feverish images of terror from which he
continually besought " dear good old Jack" to deliver
him.

When at last he dropped again into a troubled sleep,
Jack slipped away and drove up the Risdale cow, and
then went back to his breakfast. He was a boy whose
anger kindled slowly ; but the more he thought about it,
the more angry he became at the master who had given
Columbus such a fright as to throw him into a brain
fever, and at the " mean, sneaking, contemptible vil-
lains," as he hotly called them, who wouldn't come
forward and confess their trick, rather than to have the
poor little lad punished.

78 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

" I suppose we ought to make some allowances," his
mother said, quietly.

" That's what you always say, mother. You're
always making allowances."

After breakfast and chores, Jack thought to go again
to see his little friend. On issuing from the gate, he
saw Will Riley and Ben Berry waiting for him at the
corner. Whether they meant to attack him or not he
could not tell, but he felt too angry to care.

" I say, Jack," said Riley, "how did you know who
put the powder in the stove ? Did Columbus tell you ? "

" Mind your own business," said Jack, in a tone not
so polite as it might be. " The less you say about gun-
powder, hereafter, the better for you both. Why didn't
you walk up and tell, and save that little fellow a
beating ? "

" Look here, Jack," said Berry, " don't you tell what
you know about it. There's going to be a row. They
say that Doctor Lanham's taken Susan, and all the other
children, out of school, because the master thrashed
Lummy, and they say Bob Holliday's quit, and that
you're going to quit, and Doctor Lanham's gone to
work this morning to get the master put out at the end
of the term. Mr. Ball didn't know that Columbus was
kin to the Lanhams, or he'd have let him alone, like he
does the Lanhams and the Weathervanes. There is
going to be a big row, and everybody'll want to know

COLUMBUS AND HIS FRIENDS. 79

who put the powder in the stove. We want you to be
quiet about it."

" You do ? " said Jack, with a sneer. " You do ? "

"Yes, we do," said Riley, coaxingly.

" You do ? You come to me and ask me to keep it
secret, after letting me and that poor little baby take
your whipping ! You want me to hide what you did,
when that poor little Columbus lies over there sick abed
and like to die, all because you sneaking scoundrels let
him be whipped for what you did ! "

" Is he sick ? " said Riley, in terror.

" Going to die, I expect," said Jack, bitterly.

" Well," said Ben Berry, " you be careful what you
say about us, or we'll get Pewee to get even with you."

" Oh, that's your game ! You think you can scare
me, do you ? "

Jack grew more and more angry. Seeing a group
of school-boys on the other side of the street, he called
them over.

" Look here, boys," said Jack, " I took a whipping
yesterday to keep from telling on these fellows, and now
they have the face to ask me not to tell that they put
the powder in the stove, and they promise me a beating
from Pewee if I do. These are the two boys that let
a poor sickly baby take the whipping they ought to have
had. They have just as good as killed him, I suppose,
and now they come sneaking around here and trying to

80 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

scare me in keeping still about it. I didn't back down
from the master, and I wont from Pevvee. Oh, no ! I
wont tell anybody. But if any of you boys should
happen to guess that Will Riley and Ben Berry were the
cowards who did that mean trick, I am not going to say
they weren't. It wouldn't be of any use to deny it.
There are only two boys in school mean enough to play
such a contemptible trick as that."

Riley and Berry stood sheepishly silent, but just here
Pewee came in sight, and seeing the squad of boys
gathered around Jack, strode over quickly and pushed
his sturdy form into the midst.

" Pewee," said Riley, " I think you ought to pound
Jack. He says you can't back him down."

" I didn't," said Jack. " I said you couldn't scare
me out of telling who tried to blow up the school-house
stove, and let other boys take the whipping, by promis-
ing me a drubbing from Pewee Rose. If Pewee wants
to put himself in as mean a crowd as yours, and be your
puppy-dog to fight for you, let him come on. He's a
fool if he does, that's all I have to say. The whole town
will want to ship you two fellows off before night, and
Pewee isn't going to fight your battles. What do you
think, Pewee, of fellows that put powder in a stove
where they might blow up a lot of little children ? What
do you think of two fellows that want me to keep quiet
after they let little Lum Risdale take a whipping for

COLUMBUS AND HIS FRIENDS. 8l

them, and that talk about setting you on to me if I
tell ? "

Thus brought face to face with both parties, King
Pewee only looked foolish and said nothing.

Jack had worked himself into such a passion that he
could not go to Risdale's, but returned to his own home,
declaring that he was going to tell everybody in town.
But when he entered the house and looked into the
quiet, self-controlled face of his mother, he began to feel
cooler.

" Let us remember that some allowances are to be
made for such boys," was all that she said.

"That's what you always say, Mother," said Jack,
impatiently. " I believe you'd make allowances for the
Old Boy himself."

"That would depend on his bringing up," smiled
Mrs. Dudley. " Some people have bad streaks nat-
urally, and some have been cowed and brutalized by ill-
treatment, and some have been spoiled by indulgence."

Jack felt more calm after a while. He went back to
the bedside of Columbus, but he couldn't bring himself
to make allowances.

CHAPTER XII.

GREENBANK WAKES UP.

IF the pigeons had not crossed the valley on Monday,
nobody would have played truant, and if nobody had
played truant on Monday, there would not have been
occasion to whip three boys on Tuesday morning, and if
Ben Berry and Riley had escaped a beating on Tuesday
morning, they would not have thought of putting gun-
powder into the stove on Wednesday at noon, and if
they had omitted that bad joke, Columbus would not
have got into trouble and run away from school, and if he
had escaped the fright and the flight, he might not have
had the fever, and the town would not have been waked
up, and other things would not have happened.

So then, you see, this world of ours is just like the
House that Jack Built : one thing is tied to another and
another to that, and that to this, and this to something,
and something to something else, and so on to the very
end of all things.

So it was that the village was thrown into a great
excitement as the result of a flock of innocent pigeons

GREENBANK WAKES UP. 83

going over the heads of some lazy boys. In the first
place, Susan Lanham talked about things. She talked to
her aunts, and she talked to her uncles, and, above all,
she talked to her father. Now Susan was the brightest
girl in the town, and she had a tongue, as all the world
knew, and when she set out to tell people what a brute
the old master was, how he had beaten two innocent
boys, how bravely Jack had carried himself, how fright-
ened little Columbus was, and how sick it had made him,
and how mean the boys were to put the powder there,
and then to let the others take the whipping, I say, when
Susan set out to tell all these things, in her eloquent way,
to everybody she knew, you might expect a waking up in
the sleepy old town. Some of the people took Susan's
side and removed their children from the school, lest they,
too, should get a whipping and run home and have brain
fever. But many stood up for the old master, mostly
because they were people of the sort that never can bear
to see anything changed. " The boys ought to have told
who put the powder in the stove," they said. " It served
them right."

" How could the master know that Jack and Colum-
bus did not do it themselves ? " said others. " May be
they did ! "

" Don't tell me ! " cried old Mrs. Home. " Don't
tell me ! Boys can't be managed without whipping, and
plenty of it. ' Bring up a child and away he goes,' as the

84 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

Bible says. When you hire a master, you want a
master, says I."

" What a tongue that Sue Lanham has got ! " said
Mr. Higbie, Mr. Ball's brother-in-law.

TKe excitement spread over the whole village.
Doctor Lanham talked about it, and the ministers, and
the lawyers, and the loafers in the stores, and the people
who came to the post-office for their letters. Of course,
it broke out furiously in the " Maternal Association," a
meeting of mothers held at the house of one of the
ministers.

" Mr. Ball can do every sum in the arithmetic," urged
Mrs. Weathervane.

" He's a master hand at figures, they do say," said
Mother Brownson.

" Yes," said Mrs. Dudley, " I don't doubt it. Jack's
back is covered with figures of Mr. Ball's making. For
my part, I should rather have a master that did his figur-
ing on a slate."

Susan Lanham got hold of this retort, and took pains
that it should be known all over the village.

When Greenbank once gets waked up on any ques-
tion, it never goes to sleep until that particular question
is settled. But it doesn't wake up more than once or
twice in twenty years. Most of the time it is only talking
in its sleep. Now that Greenbank had its eyes open for
a little time, it was surprised to see that while the cities

GREENBANK WAKES UP. 85

along the river had all adopted graded schools, de-
graded schools, as they were called by the people op-
posed to them, and while even the little villages in the
hill country had younger and more enlightened teachers,
the county-town of Greenbank had made no advance.
It employed yet, under the rule of President Fillmore, the
same hard old stick of a master that had beaten the boys
in the log school-house in the days of John Quincy
Adams and Andrew Jackson. But, now it was awake,
Greenbank kept its eyes open on the school question.
The boys wrote on the fences, in chalk :

DOWN WITH OLD BAWL!

and thought the bad spelling of the name a good joke,
while men and women began to talk about getting a new
master.

Will Riley and Ben Berry had the hardest time. For
the most part they stayed at home during the excite-
ment, only slinking out in the evening. The boys nick-
named them " Gunpowder cowards," and wrote the
words on the fences. Even the loafers about the street
asked them whether Old Ball had given them that whip-
ping yet, and how they liked " powder and Ball."

CHAPTER XIII.

PROFESSOR SUSAN.

MR. BALL did not let go easily. He had been en-
gaged for the term, and he declared that he would go on
to the end of the term, if there should be nothing but
empty benches. In truth, he and his partisans hoped
that the storm would blow over and the old man be al-
lowed to go on teaching and thrashing as heretofore.
He had a great advantage in that he had been trained in
all the common branches better than most masters, and
was regarded as a miracle of skill in arithmetical calcula-
tions. He even knew how to survey land.

Jack was much disappointed to miss his winter's
schooling, and there was no probability that he would
be able to attend school again. He went on as best he
could at home, but he stuck fast on some difficult prob-
lems in the middle of the arithmetic. Columbus had by
this time begun to recover his slender health, and he was
even able to walk over to Jack's house occasionally.
Finding Jack in despair over some of his " sums," he
said :

" Why don't you ask Susan Lanham to show you ?

PROFESSOR SUSAN. 8/

I believe she would ; and she has been clean through the
arithmetic, and she is 'most as good as the master himself."

" I don't like to," said Jack. " She wouldn't want to
take the trouble."

But the next morning Christopher Columbus man-
aged to creep over to the Lanhams :

" Cousin Sukey," he said, coaxingly, " I wish you'd
do something for me. I want to ask a favor of you."

"What is it, Columbus?" said Sue. "Anything
you ask shall be given, to the half of my kingdom ! " and
she struck an attitude, as Isabella of Castile, addressing
the great Columbus, with the dust-brush for a sceptre,
and the towel, which she had pinned about her head, for
a crown.

" You are so funny," he said, with a faint smile.
" But I wish you'd be sober a minute."

" Haven't had but one cup of coffee this morning.
But what do you want? "

" Jack "

" Oh, yes. it's always Jack with you. ' But that's
right Jack deserves it."

" Jack can't do his sums, and he won't ask you to
help him."

" And so he got you to ask ? "

" No, he didn't. He wouldn't let me, if he knew.
He thinks a young lady like you wouldn't want to take
the trouble to help him."

88 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

" Do you tell that stupid Jack, that if he doesn't want
to offend me so that I'll never, never forgive him, he is to
bring his slate and pencil over here after supper this
evening. And yeu'll come, too, with your geography.
Yours truly, Susan Lanham, Professor of Mathematics
and Natural Science in the Greenbank Independent and
Miscellaneous Academy. Do you hear ? "

"All right." And Columbus, smiling faintly, went
off to tell Jack the good news. That evening Susan had,
besides her own brother and two sisters, two pupils who
learned more arithmetic than they would have gotten in
the same time from Mr. Ball, though she did keep them
laughing at her drollery. The next evening, little Jo-
anna Merwin joined the party, and Professor Susan felt
quite proud of her " academy," as she called it.

Bob Holliday caught the infection, and went to study-
ing at home. As he was not so far advanced as Jack, he
contented himself with asking Jack's help when he was in
trouble. At length, he had a difficulty that Jack could
not solve.

" Why don't you take that to the professor ? " asked
Jack. " I'll ask her to show you."

" I dursn't," said Bob, with a frightened look.

" Nonsense! " said Jack.

That evening, when the lessons were ended, Jack
said :

" Professor Susan, there was a story in the old First

PROFESSOR SUSAN.

Reader we had in the first school that I went to, about a
dog who had a lame foot. A doctor cured his foot, and
some time after, the patient brought another lame dog to
the doctor, and showed by signs that he wanted this
other dog cured, too."

" That's rather a good dog-story," said Susan.
" But what made you think of it ? "

" Because I'm that first dog."

" You are ? "

" Yes. You've helped me, but there's Bob Holliday.
I've been helping him, but he's got to a place where I
don't quite understand the thing myself. Now Bob
wouldn't dare ask you to help him "

" Bring him along. How the Greenbank Academy
grows ! " laughed Susan, turning to her father.

Bob was afraid of Susan at first his large fingers
trembled so much that he had trouble to use his slate-
pencil. But by the third evening his shyness had worn
off, so that he got on well.

One evening, after a week of attendance, he was
missing. The next morning he came to Jack's house
with his face scratched and his eye bruised.

" What's the matter ? " asked Jack.

"Well, you see, yesterday I was at the school-house
at noon, and Pewee, egged on by Riley, said something
he oughtn't to, about Susan, and I couldn't stand there
and hear that girl made fun of, and so I up and downed

THE IIOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

him, and made him take it back. I can't go till my face
looks better, you know, for I wouldn't want her to know
anything about it."

But the professor heard all about it from Joanna, who
had it from one of the school-boys. Susan sent Colum-
bus to tell Bob that she knew all about it, and that he
must come back to school.

" So you've been fighting, have you ? " she said,
severely, when Bob appeared. The poor fellow was
glad she took that tone if she had thanked him he
wouldn't have been able to reply.

" Yes."

" Well, don't you do it any more. It's very wrong
to fight. It makes boys brutal. A girl with ability
enough to teach the Greenbank Academy can take care
of herself, and she doesn't want her scholars to fight.

"All right," said Bob. "But," he muttered, "I'll
thrash him all the same, and more than ever, if he ever
says anything like that again."

CHAPTER XIV.

CROWING AFTER VICTORY.

GREENBANK was awake, and the old master had to
go. Mr. Weathervane stood up for him as long as he
thought that the excitement was temporary. But when
he found that Greenbank really was awake, and not just
talking in its sleep, as it did for the most part, he changed
sides, not all at once, but by degrees. At first he soft-
ened down a little, " hemmed and hawed," as folks say.
He said he did not know but that Mr. Ball had been
hasty, but he meant well. The next day he took another
step, and said that the old master meant well, but he was
often too hasty in his temper. The next week he let him-
self down another peg in saying that "maybe" the
old man meant well, but he was altogether too hot in his
temper for a school-master. A little while later, he
found out that Mr. Ball's way of teaching was quite out
of date. Before a month had elapsed, he was sure that
the old curmudgeon ought to be put out, and thus at last
Mr. Weathervane found himself where he liked to be, in
the popular party.

And so the old master came to. his last day in the

92 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

brick school- house. Whatever feelings he may have had
in leaving behind him the scenes of his twenty-five years
of labor, he said nothing. He only compressed his lips
a little more tightly, scowled as severely as ever, re-
moved his books and pens from his desk, gave a last
look at his long beech switches on the wall, turned the
key in the door of the school-house, carried it to Mr.
Weathervane, received his pay, and walked slowly home
to the house of his brother-in-law, Mr. Higbie.

The boys had resolved to have a demonstration. All
their pent-up wrath against the master now found vent,
since there was no longer any danger that the old man
would have a chance to retaliate. They would serenade
him. Bob Holliday was full of it. Harry Weathervane
was very active. He was going to pound on his
mother's bread-pan. Every sort of instrument for mak-
ing a noise was brought into requisition. Dinner-bells,
tin-pails, conch-shell dinner-horns, tin-horns, and even
the village bass-drum, were to be used.

Would Jack go ? Bob came over to inquire. All the
boys were going to celebrate the downfall of a harsh
master. He deserved it for beating Columbus. So Jack
resolved to go.

But after the boys had departed, Jack began to doubt
whether he ought to go or not. It did not seem quite
right ; yet his feelings had become so enlisted in the con-
flict for the old man's removal, that he had grown to be

CROWING AFTER VICTORY. 93

a bitter partisan, and the recollection of all he had suf-
fered, and of all Columbus had endured during his sick-
ness, reconciled Jack to the appearance of crowing over
a fallen foe, which this burlesque serenade would have.
Nevertheless, his conscience was not clear on the point,
and he concluded to submit the matter to his mother,
when she should come home to supper.

Unfortunately for Jack, his mother stayed away to
tea, sending Jack word that he would have to get his own
supper, and that she would come home early in the even-
ing. Jack ate his bowl of bread and milk in solitude,
trying to make himself believe that his mother would
approve of his taking part in the " shiveree " of the old
master. But when he had finished his supper, he con-
cluded that if his mother did- not come home in time for
him to consult her, he would remain at home. He drew
up by the light and tried to study, but he longed to be
out with the boys. After a while, Bob Holliday and
Harry Weathervane came .to the door and importuned
Jack to come with them. It was lonesome at home : it
would be good fun to celebrate the downfall of the old
master's cruel rule, so, taking down an old dinner-bell,
Jack went off to join the rest. He was a little disgusted
when he found Riley, Pewee, and Ben Berry in the com-
pany, but once in the crowd, there was little chance to
back out with credit. The boys crept through the back
alleys until they came in front of Mr. Higbie's house, at

94 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

half-past eight o'clock. There was but one light visible,
and that was in Mr. Ball's room. Jack dropped behind,
a little faint of heart about the expedition. He felt sure
in himself that his mother would shake her head if she
knew of it. At length, at a signal from Bob, the tin-pans,
big and little, the skillet-lids grinding together, the horns,
both conch-shell and tin, and the big bass-drum, set up
a hideous clattering, banging, booming, roaring, and
racketing. Jack rang his dinner-bell rather faintly, and
stood back behind all the rest.

" Jack's afraid," said Pewee. " Why don't you come
up to the front, like a man ? "

Jack could not stand a taunt like this, but came for-
ward into the cluster of half-frightened peace-breakers.
Just then, the door of Mr. Higbie's house was opened,
and some one came out.

" It's Mr. Higbie," said Ben Berry. " He's going to
shoot."

" It's Bugbee, the watchman, going to arrest us," said
Pewee.

"It's Mr. Ball himself," said Riley, "and he'll whip
us all." And he fled, followed pell-mell by the whole
crowd, excepting Jack, who had a constitutional aversion
to running away. He only slunk up close to the fence
and so stood still.

" Hello ! Who are you ? " The voice was not that
of Mr. Higbie, nor that of the old master, nor of the

CROWING AFTER VICTORY. 95

watchman, Bugbee. With some difficulty, Jack recog-
nized the figure of Doctor Lanham. " Oh, it's Jack Dud-
ley, is it ? " said the doctor, after examining him in the
feeble moonlight.

" Yes," said Jack, sheepishly.

" You're the one that got that whipping from the old
master. I don't wonder you came out to-night."

" I do," said Jack, " and I would rather now that I
had taken another such whipping than to find myself
here."

" Well, well," said the doctor, " boys will be boys."

" And fools will be fools, I suppose," said Jack.

" Mr. Ball is very ill," continued the doctor. " Find
the others and tell them they mustn't come here again to-
night, or they'll kill him. I wouldn't have had this hap-
pen for anything. The old man's just broken down by
the strain he has been under. He has deserved it all, but
I think you might let him have a little peace now."

" So do I," said Jack, more ashamed of himself than
ever.

The doctor went back into the house, and Jack
Dudley and his dinner-bell started off down the street in
search of Harry Weathervane and his tin pan, and Bob
Holliday and his skillet-lids, and Ben Berry and the bass-
drum.

" Hello, Jack ! " called out Bob from an alley. " You
stood your ground the best of all, didn't you? "

96 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

" I wish I'd stood my ground in the first place against
you and Harry, and stayed at home."

" Why, what's the matter ? Who was it ? "

By this time the other boys were creeping out of their
hiding-places and gathering about Jack.

" Well, it was the doctor," said Jack. " Mr. Ball's
very sick and we've 'most killed him ; that's all. We're
a pack of cowards to go tooting at a poor old man when
he's already down, and we ought to be kicked, every one
of us. That's the way I feel about it," and Jack set out
for home, not waiting for any leave-taking with the rest,
who, for their part, slunk away in various directions, anx-
ious to get their instruments of noise and torment hidden
away out of sight.

Jack stuck the dinner-bell under the hay in the stable-
loft, whence he could smuggle it into the house before his
mother should get down-stairs in the morning. Then he
went into the house.

"Where have you been ?" asked Mrs. Dudley. "I
came home early so that you needn't be lonesome."

" Bob Holliday and Harry Weathervane came for me,
and I found it so lonesome here that I went out with
them."

" Have you got your lessons ? "

" No, ma'am," said Jack, sheepishly.

He was evidently not at ease, but his mother said no
more. He went off to bed early, and lay awake a good

CROWING AFTER VICTORY. 97

part of the night. The next morning he brought the old
dinner-bell and set it down in the very middle of the
breakfast-table. Then he told his mother all about it.
And she agreed with him that he had done a very mean

thing.

CHAPTER XV.

AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT.

THREE times a week the scholars of the " Greenbank
Academy " met at the house of Dr. Lanham to receive
instruction from Professor Susan, for the school trustees
could not agree on a new teacher. Some of the people
wanted one thing, and some another ; a lady teacher was
advocated and opposed ; a young man, an old man, a
new-fashioned man, an old-fashioned man, and no
teacher at all for the "rest of the present year, so as to
save money, were projects "that found advocates. The
division of opinion was so great that the plan of no
school at all was carried because no other could be. So
Susan's class went on for a month, and grew to be quite
a little society, and then it came to an end.

One evening, when the lessons were finished, Profes-
sor Susan said : " I am sorry to tell you that this is the
last lesson I can give."

And then they all said " Aw-w-w-w-w ! " in a melan-
choly way.

" I am going away to school myself." Susan went on.

AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT. 99

" My father thinks I ought to go to Mr. Niles's school at
Port William."

" I shouldn't think you'd need to go any more," said
Joanna Merwin. " I thought you knew everything."

" Oh, bless me i " cried Susan.

In former days the people of the interior the Missis-
sippi Valley which used then to be called " the West,"
were very desirous of education for their children. But
good teachers were scarce. Ignorant and pretentious
men, incompetent wanderers from New England, who
had grown tired of clock-peddling, or tin-peddling, and
whose whole stock was assurance, besides impostors of
other sorts, would get places as teachers because teachers
were scarce and there were no tests of fitness. Now and
then a retired Presbyterian minister from Scotland or
Pennsylvania, or a college graduate from New England,
would open a school in some country town. Then peo-
ple who could afford it would send their children from
long distances to board near the school, and learn Eng-
lish grammar, arithmetic, and, in some cases, a little
Latin, or, perhaps, to fit themselves for entrance to some
of the sturdy little country colleges already growing up
in that region. At Port William, in Kentucky, there
was at this time an old minister, Mr. Niles, who really
knew what he professed to teach, and it was to his school
that Dr. Lanham was now about to send Susan ; Harvey
Collins and Henry Weathervane had already entered

100 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

the school. But for poor boys like Jack, and Bob Holli-
day, and Columbus, who had no money with which to
pay board, there seemed no chance.

The evening on which Susan's class broke up, there
was a long and anxious discussion between Jack Dudley
and his mother.

" You see, Mother, if I could get even two months in
Mr. Niles's school, I could learn some Latin, and if I once
get my fingers into Latin, it is like picking bricks out of
a pavement ; if I once get a start, I can dig it out myself.
I am going to try to find some way to attend that school."

But the mother only shook her head.

" Couldn't we move to Port William ? " said Jack.

" How could we ? Here we have a house of our own,
which couldn't easily be rented. There we should have
to pay rent, and where is the money to come from ? "

" Can't we collect something from Gray ? "

Again Mrs. Dudley shook her head.

But Jack resolved to try the hard-hearted debtor, him-
self. It was now four years since Jack's father had been
persuaded to release a mortgage in order to relieve Fran-
cis Gray from financial distress. Gray had promised to
give other security, but his promise had proved worthless.
Since that time he had made lucky speculations and was
now a man rather well off, but he kept all his property in
his wife's name, as scoundrels and fraudulent debtors usu-
ally do. All that Jack and his mother had to show for

AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT. IOI

the one thousand dollars with four years' interest due
them, was a judgment against Francis Gray, with the
sheriff's return of " no effects " on the back of the writ of
execution against the property " of the aforesaid Francis
Gray." For how could you get money out of a man who
was nothing in law but an agent for his wife ?

But Jack believed in his powers of persuasion, and in
the softness of the human heart. He had never had to do
with a man in whom the greed for money had turned the
heart to granite.

Two or three days later, Jack heard that Francis Gray,
who lived in Louisville, had come to Greenbank. With-
out consulting his mother, lest she should discourage him,
Jack went in pursuit of the slippery debtor. He had left
town, however, to see his fine farm, three miles away, a
farm which belonged in law to Mrs. Gray, but which be-
longed of right to Francis Gray's creditors.

Jack found Mr. Gray well-dressed and of plausible
manners. It was hard to speak to so fine a gentleman on
the subject of money. For a minute, Jack felt like back-
ing out. But then he contrasted his mother's pinched
circumstances with Francis Gray's abundance, and a little
wholesome anger came to his assistance. He remem-
bered, too, that his cherished projects for getting an
education were involved, and he mustered courage to
speak.

;< Mr. Gray, my name is John Dudley."

102 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

Jack thought that there was a sign of annoyance on
Gray's face at this announcement.

" You borrowed a thousand dollars of my father once,
I believe."

" Yes, that is true. Your father was a good friend of
mine."

" He released a mortgage so that you could sell a
piece of property when you were in trouble."

" Yes, your father was a good friend to me. I ac-
knowledge that I wish I had money enough to pay that
debt. It shall be the very first debt paid when I get on
my feet again, and I expect to get on my feet, as sure as
I live."

" But, you see, Mr. Gray, while my mother is pinched
for money, you have plenty."

" It's all Mrs. Gray's money. She has plenty. I
haven't anything."

" But I want to go to school to Port William. My
mother is too poor to help me. If you could let me have
twenty-five dollars "

" But, you see, I can't. I haven't got twenty-five
dollars to my name, that I can control. But by next New
Year's I mean to pay your mother the whole thousand
that I owe her."

This speech impressed Jack a little, but remembering
how often Gray had broken such promises, he said :

"Don't you think it a little hard that you and Mrs.

AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT. IO3

Gray are well off, while my mother is so poor, all because
you won't keep your word given to my father ? "

" But, you see, I haven't any money, excepting what
Mrs. Gray lets me have," said Mr. Gray.

" She seems to let you have what you want. Don't
you think, if you coaxed her, she would lend you twenty-
five dollars till New Year's, to help me go to school one
more term ? "

Francis Gray was a little stunned by this way of ask-
ing it. For a moment, looking at the entreating face of
the boy, he began to feel a disposition to relent a little.
This was new and strange for him. To pay twenty-five
dollars that he was not obliged by any self-interest to pay,
would have been an act contrary to all his habits and to
all the business maxims in which he had schooled himself.
Nevertheless, he fingered his papers a minute in an unde-
cided way, and then he said that he couldn't do it. If he
began to pay creditors in that way " it would derange his
business."

"But," urged Jack, "think how much my father
deranged his business to oblige you, and now you rob me
of my own money, and of my chance to get an education."

Mr. Gray was a little ruffled, but he got up and went
out of the room. When Jack looked out of the window
a minute later, Gray was riding away down the road
without so much as bidding the troublesome Jack good-
morning.

104 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

There was nothing for Jack to do but to return to
town and make the best of it. But all the way back, the
tired and discouraged boy felt that his last chance of be-
coming an educated man had vanished. He told his
mother about his attempt on Mr. Gray's feelings and of
his failure. They discussed the matter the whole even-
ing, and could see no chance for Jack to get the educa-
tion he wanted.

" I mean to die a-trying," said Jack, doggedly, as he
went off to bed.

CHAPTER XVI.

AN EXPLORING EXPEDITION.

THE next day but one, there came a letter to Mrs.
Dudley that increased her perplexity.

" Your Aunt Hannah is sick," she said to Jack, "and
I must go to take care of her. I don't know what to do
with you."

" I'll go to Port William to school," said Jack.
" See if I don't."

"How?" asked his mother. "We don't know a
soul on that side of the river. You couldn't make any
arrangement."

" Maybe I can," said Jack. "Bob Holliday used to
live on the Indiana side, opposite Port William. I mean
to talk with him."

Bob was setting onions in one of the onion-patches
which abounded about Greenbank, and which were, from
March to- July, the principal sources of pocket-money to
the boys. Jack thought best to wait until the day's work
was finished. Then he sat, where Greenbank boys were
fond of sitting, on the sloping top-board of a broad fence,
5*

106 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

and told his friend Bob of his eager desire to go to Port
William.

" I'd like to go too," said Bob. " This is the last
year's schooling I'm to have."

" Don't you know any house, or any place, where we
could keep ' bach ' together ? "

" W'y, yes," said Bob ; " if you didn't mind rowing
across the river every day, I've got a skiff, and there's
the old hewed- log house on the Indianny side where we
used to live. A body might stay as long as he pleased
in that house, I guess. Judge Kane owns it, and he's
one of the best-hearted men in the country."

" It's eight miles down there," said Jack.

"Only seven if you go by water," said Bob. "Let's
put out to-morry morning early. Let's go in the skiff;
we can row and cordelle it up the river again, though it
is a job."

Bright and early, the boys started down the river,
rowing easily with the strong, steady current of the
Ohio, holding their way to Judge Kane's, whose house
was over against Port William. This Judge Kane was
an intelligent and wealthy farmer, liked by everybody.
He was not a lawyer, but had once held the office of
"associate judge," and hence the title, which suited his
grave demeanor. He looked at the two boys out of his
small, gray, kindly eyes, hardly ever speaking a word.
He did not immediately answer when they asked per-

AN EXPLORING EXPEDITION. IO/

mission to occupy the old, unused log-house, but got
them to talk about their plans, and watched them
closely. Then he took them out to see his bees. He
showed them his ingenious hives and a bee-house which
he had built to keep out the moths by drawing chalk-
lines about it, for over these lines the wingless grub of
the moth could not crawl. Then he showed them a glass
hive, in which all the processes of the bees' housekeep-
ing could be observed. After that, he took the boys to
the old log-house, and pointed out some holes in the
roof that would have to be fixed. And even then he did
not give them any answer to their request, but told them
to stay to dinner and he would see about it, all of which
was rather hard on boyish impatience. They had a good
dinner of fried chicken and biscuits and honey, served in
the neatest manner by the motherly Mrs. Kane. Then
the Judge suggested that they ought to see Mr. Niles
about taking them into the school. So his skiff was
launched, and he rowed with them across the river,
which is here about a mile wide, to Port William. Here
he introduced them to Mr. Niles, an elderly man, a little
bent and a little positive in his tone, as is the habit of
teachers, but with true kindness in his manner. The
boys had much pleasure at recess time in greeting their
old school-mates, Harvey Collins, Henry Weatheryane,
and, above all, Susan Lanham, whom they called Profes-
sor. These three took a sincere interest in the plans of

108 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

Bob and Jack, and Susan spoke a good word for them to
Mr. Niles, who, on his part,' offered to give Jack Latin
without charging him anything more than the rates for
scholars in the English branches. Then they rowed
back to Judge Kane's landing, where he told them they
could have the house without rent, and that they could
get slabs and other waste at his little saw-mill to fix up
the cracks. Then he made kindly suggestions as to the
furniture they should bring mentioning a lantern, an ax,
and various other articles necessary for a camp life.
They bade him good-bye at last, and started home, now
rowing against the current and now cordelling along the
river shore, when they grew tired of rowing. In cordel-
ling, one sits in the skiff and steers, while the other walks
on the shore, drawing the boat by a rope over the shoul-
ders. The work of rowing and cordelling was hard, but
they carried light and hopeful hearts. Jack was sure
now that he should overcome all obstacles and get a
good education. As for Bob, he had no hope higher
than that of worrying through vulgar fractions before set-
tling down to hard work.

CHAPTER XVII.

HOUSEKEEPING EXPERIENCES.

MRS. DUDLEY having gone to Cincinnati the next day
to attend her sister, who was ill, Jack was left to make
his arrangements for housekeeping with Bob. Each of
the boys took two cups, two saucers, two plates, and two
knives and forks. Things were likely to get lost or
broken, and therefore they provided duplicates. Besides,
they might have company to dinner some day, and, more-
over, they would need the extra dishes to " hold things,"
as Jack expressed it. They took no tumblers, but each
was provided with a tin cup. Bob remembered the lan-
tern, and Jack put in an ax. They did not take much
food ; they could buy that of farmers or in Port William.
They got a " gang," or, as they called it, a " trotline," to
lay down in the river for catfish, perch, and shovel-nose
sturgeon, for there was no game-law then. Bob provided
an iron pot to cook the fish in, and Jack a frying-pan and
tea-kettle. Their bedding consisted of an empty tick, to
be filled with straw in Judge Kane's barn, some equally
empty pillow-ticks, and a pair of brown sheets and two

110 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

blankets. But, with one thing and another, the skiff was
well loaded.

A good many boys stood on the bank as they em-
barked, and among them was Columbus, who had a feel-
ing that his best friends were about to desert him, and
who would gladly have been one of the party if he could
have afforded the expense.

In the little crowd which watched the embarkation
was Hank Rathbone, an old hunter and pioneer, who
made several good suggestions about their method of
loading the boat.

" But where's your stove ? " he asked.

" Stove ? " said Bob. " We can't take a stove in this
thing. There's a big old fire-place in the house that'll do
to cook by."

"But hot weather's comin* soon," said old Hank,
" and then you'll want to cook out in the air, I reckon.
Besides, it takes a power of wood for a fire-place. If one
of you will come along with me to the tin-shop, I'll have
a stove made for you, of the best paytent-right sort, that'll
go into a skiff, and that won't weigh more'n three or four
pounds and won't cost but about two bits."

Jack readily agreed to buy as good a thing as a stove
for twenty-five cents, and so he went with Hank Rath-
bone to the tin-shop, stopping to get some iron on the
way. Two half-inch round rods of iron five feet long
were cut and sharpened at each end. Then the ends were

HOUSEKEEPING EXPERIENCES. in

OLD HANK'S PL.*
STOVE.

turned down so as to make on each rod two pointed legs
of eighteen inches in length, and thus leave two feet of
the rod for a horizontal piece.

"Now," said the old hunter, "you drive about six
inches of each leg into the ground, and
stand them about a foot apart. Now
for a top."

For this he had a piece of sheet-iron
cut out two feet long and fourteen inches
wide, with a round kettle-hole near one
end. The edges of the long sides of
the sheet-iron were bent down to fit over
the rods.

"Lay that over your rods," said
Hank, " and you've got a stove two foot long, one foot
high, and more than one foot wide, and you can build
your fire of chips, instid of logs. You can put your tea-
kittle, pot, pipkin, griddle, skillet, or gridiron on to the
hole" the old man eyed it admiringly. " It's good for
bilin', fryin', or brilin', and all fer two" bits. They ain't
..many young couples gits set up as cheap as that ! "

An hour and a half of rowing down-stream brought
the boys to the old cabin. The life there involved more
hard work than they had expected. Notwithstanding
Jack's experience in helping his mother, the baking of
corn-bread, and the frying of bacon or fish, were difficult
tasks, and both the boys had red faces when supper was

112 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

on the table. But, as time wore on, they became skilful,
and though the work was hard, it was done patiently and
pretty well. Between cooking, and cleaning, and fixing,
and getting wood, and rowing to school and back, there
was not a great deal of time left for study out of school,
but Jack made a beginning in Latin, and Bob perspired
quite as freely over the addition of fractions as over the
frying-pan.

They rarely had recreation, excepting that of taking
the fish off their trot-line in the morning, when there
were any on it. Once or twice they allowed themselves
to visit an Indian mound or burial-place on the summit of
a neighboring hill, where idle boys and other loungers
had dug up many bones and thrown them down the de-
clivity. Jack, who had thoughts of being a doctor, made
an effort to gather a complete Indian skeleton, but the
dry bones had become too much mixed up. He could
not get any three bones to fit together, and his man, as
he tried to put him together, was the most miscellaneous
creature imaginable, neither man, woman, nor child.
Bob was a little afraid to have these human ruins stored
under the house, lest he might some night see a ghost
with war-paint and tomahawk ; but Jack, as became a
boy of scientific tastes, pooh-poohed all superstitions or
sentimental considerations in the matter. He told Bob
that, if he should ever see the ghost which that frame-
work belonged to, it would be the ghost of the whole

" THE LANDING OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

HOUSEKEEPING EXPERIENCES. 115

Shawnee tribe, for there were nearly as many individuals
represented as there were bones in the skeleton.

The one thing that troubled Jack was that he couldn't
get rid of the image of Columbus as they had seen him
when they left Greenbank, standing sorrowfully on the
river bank. The boys often debated between themselves
how they could manage to have him one of their party,
but they were both too poor to pay the small tuition fees,
though his board would not cost much. They could not
see any way of getting over the difficulty, but they
talked with Susan about it, and Susan took hold of the
matter in her fashion by writing to her father on the sub-
ject.

The result of her energetic effort was that one after-
noon, as they came out of school, when the little packet-
steamer was landing at the wharf, who should come
ashore but Christopher Columbus, in his best but thread-
bare clothes, tugging away at an old-fashioned carpet-
bag, which was too much for him to carry. Bob seized
the carpet-bag and almost lifted the dignified little lad
himself off his feet in his joyful welcome, while Jack, find-
ing nothing else to do, stood still and hurrahed. They
soon had the dear little spindle-shanks and his great car-
pet-bag stowed away in the skiff. As they rowed to the
north bank of the river, Columbus explained how Dr.
Lanham had undertaken to pay his expenses, if the boys
would take him into partnership, but he said he was

Il6 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

'most afraid to come, because he couldn't chop wood, and
he wasn't good for much in doing the work.

" Never mind, honey," said Bob. " Jack and I don't
care whether you work or not. You are worth your
keep, any time."

" Yes," said Jack, " we even tried hard yesterday to
catch a young owl to make a pet of, but we couldn't get
it. You see, we're so lonesome."

" I suppose I'll do for a pet owl, won't I ? " said little
Columbus, with a strange and quizzical smile on his
meagre face. And as he sat there in the boat, with his
big head and large eyes, the name seemed so appropriate
that Bob and Jack both laughed outright.

But the Pet Owl made himself useful in some ways.
I am sorry to say that the housekeeping of Bob and Jack
had not always been of the tidiest kind. They were
boys, and they were in a hurry. But Columbus had the
tastes of a girl about a house. He did not do any cook-
ing or chopping to speak of, but he fixed up. He kept
the house neat, cleaned the candlestick every morning,
and washed the windows now and then, and as spring ad-
vanced he brought in handfuls of wild flowers. The boys
declared that they had never felt at home in the old house
until the Pet Owl came to be its mistress. He wouldn't
let anything be left around out of place, but all the pots,
pans, dishes, coats, hats, books, slates, the lantern, the
boot-jack, and other slender furniture, were put in order

HOUSEKEEPING EXPERIENCES.

before school time, so that when they got back in the
afternoon the place was inviting and home-like. When
Judge Kane and his wife stopped during their Sunday-
afternoon stroll, to see how the lads got on, Mrs. Kane
praised their housekeeping.

" That is all the doings of the Pet Owl," said Bob.

" Pet Owl ? Have you one ? " asked Mrs. Kane.

The boys laughed, and Bob explained that Columbus
was the pet.

That evening, the boys had a box of white honey for
supper, sent over by Mrs. Kane, and the next Saturday
afternoon Jack and Bob helped Judge Kane finish plant-
ing his corn-field.

One unlucky day, Columbus discovered Jack's box of
Indian bones under the house, and he turned pale and
had a fit of shivering for a long time afterward. It was
necessary to move the box into an old stable to quiet his
shuddering horror. The next Sunday afternoon, the Pet
Owl came in with another fit of terror, shivering as before.

"What's the matter now, Lummy?" said Jack.
<l Have you seen any more Indians ? "

" Pewee and his crowd have gone up to the Indian
Mound," said Columbus.

<l Well, let 'em go/' said Bob. " I suppose they know
the way, don't they ? I should like to see them. I've
been so long away from Greenbank that even a yellow
dog from there would be welcome."

CHAPTER XVIII.

GHOSTS.

JACK and Bob had to amuse Columbus with stories, to
divert his mind from the notion that Pewee and his party
meant them some harm. The Indian burying-ground
was not an uncommon place of resort on Sundays for
loafers and idlers, and now and then parties came from
as far as Greenbank, to have the pleasure of a ride and
the amusement of digging up Indian relics from the ceme-
tery on the hill. This hill-top commanded a view of
the Ohio River for many miles in both directions, and of
the Kentucky River, which emptied into the Ohio just op-
posite. I do not know whether the people who can find
amusement in digging up bones and throwing them down-
hill enjoy scenery or not, but I have heard it urged that
even some dumb animals, as horses, enjoy a landscape;
and I once knew a large dog, in Switzerland, who would
sit enchanted for a long time on the brink of a mountain
cliff, gazing off at the lake below. It is only fair to sup-
pose, therefore, that even these idle diggers in Indian
mounds had some pleasure in looking from a hill-top ; at

GHOSTS. 119

any rate, they were fond of frequenting this one. Pewee,
and Riley, and Ben Berry, and two or three others of the
same feather, had come down on this Sunday to see the
Indian Mound and to find any other sport that might lie
in their reach. When they had dug up and thrown away
down the steep hill-side enough bones to satisfy their
jackal proclivities, they began to cast about them for some
more exciting, diversion. As there were no water-melon
patches nor orchards to be robbed at this season of the
year, they decided to have an egg-supper, and then to
wait for the moon to rise after midnight before starting
to row and cordelle their two boats up the river again to
Greenbank. The fun of an egg-supper to Pewee's party
consisted not so much in the eggs as in the manner of get-
ting them. Every nest in Judge Kane's chicken-house
was rummaged that night, and Mrs. Kane found next day
that all the nest-eggs were gone, and that one of her
young hens was missing also.

About dark, little Allen Mackay, a round-bodied,
plump-faced, jolly fellow who lived near the place where
the skiffs were landed, and who had spent the afternoon
at the Indian Mound, came to the door of the old log-
house.

" I wanted to say that you fellows have always done
the right thing by me. You've set me acrost oncet or
twicet, and you've always been 'clever' to me, and I
don't want to see no harm done you. You'd better look

120 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

out to-night. They's some chaps from Greenbank down
here, and they're in for a frolic, and somebody's hen-
roost'll suffer, I guess ; and they don't like you boys, and
they talked about routing you out to-night."

" Thank you," said Jack.

" Let 'em rout," said Bob.

But the poor little Pet Owl was all in a cold shudder
again.

About eleven o'clock, King Pewee's party had picked
the last bone of Mrs. Kane's chicken. It was yet an hour
and a half before the moon would be up, and there was
time for some fun. Two boys from the neighborhood,
who had joined the party, agreed to furnish dough-faces
for them all. Nothing more ghastly than masks of dough
can well be imagined, and when the boys all put them on,
and had turned their coats wrong-side out, they were
almost afraid of one another.

" Now," said Riley, " Pewee will knock at the door,
and when they come with their lantern or candle, we'll all
rush in and howl like Indians."

" How do Indians howl ? " asked Ben Berry.

" Oh, any way like a dog or a wolf, you know. And
then they'll be scared to death, and we'll just pitch their
beds, and dishes, and everything else out of the door, and
show them how to clean house."

Riley didn't know that Allen Mackay and Jack Dud-
ley, hidden in the bushes, heard this speech, nor that

GHOSTS. 121

Jack, as soon as he had heard the plan, crept away to tell
Bob at the house what the enemy proposed to do.

As the crowd neared the log-house, Riley prudently
fell to the rear, and pushed Pevvee to the front. There
was just the faintest whitening of the sky from the coming
moon, but the large apple-trees in front of the log-house
made it very dark, and the dough-face crowd were obliged
almost to feel their way as they came into the shadow
of these trees. Just as Riley was exhorting Pewee to
knock at the door, and the whole party was tittering at
the prospect of turning Bob, Jack, and Columbus out of
bed and out of doors, they all stopped short and held
their breaths.

"Good gracious! Julius Caesar! sakes alive !" whis-
pered Riley. " What wh what is that ? "

Nobody ran. All stood as though frozen in their
places. For out from behind the corner of the house came
slowly a skeleton head. It was ablaze inside, and the
light shone out of all the openings. The thing had no
feet, no hands, and no body. It actually floated through
the air, and now and then joggled and danced a little. It
rose and fell, but still came nearer and nearer to the at-
tacking party of dough-faces, who for their part could not
guess that Bob Holliday had put a lighted candle into an
Indian's skull, and then tied this ghost's lantern to a wire
attached to the end of a fishing-rod, which he operated

from behind the house.
6

122 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

Pewee's party drew close together, and Riley whis-
pered hoarsely :

"The house is ha'nted."

I Just then the hideous and fiery death's-head made a
circuit, and swung, grinning, inta Riley's face, who could
stand no more, but broke into a full run toward the river.
At the same instant, Jack tooted a dinner-horn, Judge
Kane's big dog ran barking out of the log-house, and the
enemy were routed like the Midianites before Gideon.
Their consternation was greatly increased at finding their
boats gone, for Allen Mackay had towed them into a lit-
tle creek out of sight, and hidden the oars in an elder
thicket. Riley and one of the others were so much afraid
of the ghosts that " ha'nted'' the old house, that they set
out straightway for Greenbank, on toot. Pewee and the
others searched everywhere for the boats, and at last
sat down and waited for daylight. Just as day was
breaking, Bob Holliday came down to the river with
a towel, as though for a morning bath. Very accident-
ally, of course, he came upon Pewee and his party, all
tired out, sitting on the bank in hope that day might
throw some light on the fate of their boats.

" Hello, Pewee ! You here ? What's the matter ? "
said Bob, with feigned surprise.

" Some thief took our skiffs. We've been looking for
them all night, and can't find them."

" That's curious," said Bob, sitting down and leaning

GHOSTS. 123

his head on his hand. " Where did you get supper last
night ? "

" Oh ! we brought some with us."

"Look here, Pewee, I'll bet I can find your boats."

" How? "

" You give me money enough among you to pay for
the eggs and the chicken you had for supper, and I'll find
out who hid your boats and where the oars are, and it'll
all be square."

Pewee was now sure that the boat had been taken as
indemnity for the chicken and the eggs. He made every
one of the party contribute something until he had col-
lected what Bob thought sufficient to pay for the stolen
things, and Bob took it and went up and found Judge
Kane, who had just risen, and left the money with him.
Then he made a circuit to Allen Mackay's, waked him up,
and got the oars, which they put into the boats ; and push-
ing these out of their hiding-place, they rowed them into
the river, delivering them to Pewee and company, who
took them gratefully. Jack and Columbus had now
made their appearance, and as Pewee got into his
boat, he thought to repay Bob's kindness with a little
advice.

" I say, if I was you fellers, you know, I wouldn't stay
in that old cabin a single night."

" Why ? " asked Jack.

124 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

" Because," said Pewee, " I've heard tell that it is
ha'nted."

" Ghosts aren't anything when you get used to
them," said Jack. " We don't mind them at all."

" Don't you ? " said Pewee, who was now rowing
against the current.

" No," said Bob, " nor dough-faces neither."

CHAPTER XIX.

THE RETURN HOME.

As MR. NILES'S school-term drew to a close, the two
boys began to think of their future.

" I expect to work with my hands, Jack," said Bob ;
" I haven't got a head for books, as you have. But I'd
like to know a leetle more before I settle down. I wish
I could make enough at something to be able to go to
school next winter."

" If I only had your strength and size, Bob, I'd go to-
work for somebody as a farmer. But I have more than
myself to look after. I must help mother after this term
is out. I must get something to do, and then learning
will be slow business. They talk about Ben Franklin
studying at night and all that, but it's a little hard on a
fellow who hasn't the constitution of a Franklin. Still,
I'm going to have an education, by hook or crook."

At this point in the conversation, Judge Kane came
in. As usual, he said little, but he got the boys to talk
about their own affairs.

" When do you go home ? " he asked.

" Next Friday evening, when school is out," said Jack.

126 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL- BOY.

" And what are you going to do ? " he asked of Bob.

" Get some work this summer, and then try to get
another winter of schooling next year," was the answer.

" What kind of work ? "

" Oh, I can farm better than I can do anything else,"
said Bob. " And I like it, too."

And then Judge Kane drew from Jack a full account
of his affairs, and particularly of the debt due from Gray,
and of his interview with Gray.

" If you could get a few hundred dollars, so as to
make your mother feel easy for a while, living as she
does in her own house, you could go to school next
winter."

" Yes, and then I could get oh after that, somehow,
by myself, I suppose," said Jack. " But the few hundred
dollars is as much out of my reach as a million would be,
and my father used to say that it was a bad thing to get
into the way of figuring on things that we could never
reach."

The Judge sat still, and looked at Jack out of his half-
closed gray eyes for a minute in silence.

" Come up to the house with me," he said, rising.

Jack followed him to the house, where the Judge
opened his desk and took out a red-backed memo-
randum-book, and dictated while Jack copied in his own
handwriting the description of a piece of land on a slip of
paper.

THE RETURN HOME. \2J

" If you go over to school, to-morrow, an hour
earlier than usual," he said, " call at the county clerk's
office, show him your memorandum, and find out in
whose name that land stands. It is timber-land five
miles back, and worth five hundred dollars. When you
get the name of the owner, you will know what to do ; if
not, you can ask me, but you'd better not mention my
name to anybody in this matter."

Jack thanked Mr. Kane, but left him feeling puzzled.
In fact, the farmer-judge seemed to like to puzzle people,
or at least he never told anything more than was neces-
sary.

The next morning, the boys were off early to Port
William. Jack wondered if the land might belong to his
father, but then he was sure his father never had any land
in Kentucky. Or, was it the property of some dead uncle
or cousin, and was he to find a fortune, like the hero of a
cheap story ? But when the county clerk, whose office it
is to register deeds in that county, took the little piece
of paper, and after scanning it, took down some great
deed-books and mortgage-books, and turned the pages
awhile, and then wrote " Francis Gray, owner, no incum-
brance," on the same slip with the description, Jack had
the key to Mr. Kane's puzzle.

It was now Thursday forenoon, and Jack was eager on
all accounts to get home, especially to see the lawyer in
charge of his father's claim against Mr. Gray. So the
6*

128 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

next day at noon, as there was nothing left but the clos-
ing exercises, the three boys were excused, and bade
good-bye to their teacher and school-mates, and rowed
back to their own side of the river. They soon had the
skiff loaded, for all three were eager to see the folks at
Greenbank. Jack's mother had been at home more than
a week, and he was the most impatient of the three. But
they could not leave without a good-bye to Judge Kane
and his wife, to which good-bye they added a profusion
of bashful boyish thanks for kindness received. The
Judge walked to the boat-landing with them. Jack began
to tell him about the land.

" Don't say anything about it to me, nor to anybody
else but your lawyer," said Mr. Kane ; " and do not
mention my name. You may say to your lawyer that the
land has just changed hands, and the matter must be at-
tended to soon. It won't stand exposed in that way long."

When the boys were in the boat ready to start, Mr.
Kane said to Bob :

" You wouldn't mind working for me this summer at
the regular price ? "

" I'd like to," said Bob.

" How soon can you come ? "

" Next Wednesday evening."

" I'll expect you," said the Judge, and he turned away
up the bank, with a slight nod and a curt " Good-bye,"
while Bob said : " What a curious man he is ! "

THE RETURN HOME.

I2 9

" Yes, and as good as he's curious," added Jack.

It was a warm day for rowing, but the boys were both
a little homesick. Under the shelter of a point where
the current was not too strong the two rowed and made
fair headway, sometimes encountering an eddy which
gave them a lift. But whenever the current set strongly
toward their side of the river, and whenever they found
it necessary to round a point, one of them would leap out
on the pebbly beach and, throwing the boat-rope over
his shoulder, set his strength against the stream. The
rope, or cordelle, a word that has come down from the
first French travellers and traders in the great valley,
was tied to the row-locks. It was necessary for one to steer
in the stern while the other played tow-horse, so that
each had his turn at rest and at work. After three hours'
toil the wharf-boat of the village was in sight, and all
sorts of familiar objects gladdened their hearts. They
reached the landing, and then, laden with things, they
hurriedly cut across the commons to their homes.

As soon as Jack's first greeting with his mother was
over, she told him that she thought she might afford him
one more quarter of school.

"No," said Jack, "you've pinched yourself long
enough for me ; now it's time I should go to work. If
you try to squeeze out another quarter of school for me
you'll have to suffer for it. Besides, I don't see how you
can do it, unless Gray comes down, and I think I have

130 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

now in my pocket something that will make him come
down." And Jack's face brightened at the thought of
the slip of paper in the pocket of his roundabout.

Without observing the last remark, nor the evi-
dent elation of Jack's feelings, Mrs. Dudley proceeded to
tell him that she had been offered a hundred and twenty
dollars for her claim against Gray.

" Who offered it ? " asked Jack.

" Mr. Tinkham, Gray's agent. May be Gray is buy-
ing up his own debts, feeling tired of holding property in
somebody else's name."

" A hundred and twenty dollars for a thousand !
The rascal ! I wouldn't take it," broke out Jack, impet-
uously.

"That's just the way I feel, Jack. I'd rather wait
forever, if it wasn't for your education. I can't afford to
have you lose that. I'm to give an answer this evening."

"We won't do it," said Jack. " I've got a mem-
orandum here," and he took the slip of paper from his
pocket and unfolded it, "that'll bring more money out
of him than that. I'm going to see Mr. Beal at once."

Mrs. Dudley looked at the paper without understand-
ing just what it was, and, without giving her any further
explanation, but only a warning to secrecy, Jack made
off to the lawyer's office.

" Where did you get this ? " asked Mr. Beal.

" I promised not to mention his name I mean the

THE RETURN HOME. 131

name of the one who gave me that. I went to the clerk's
office with the description, and the clerk wrote the words
' Francis Gray, owner, no incumbrance.' "

" I wish I had had it sooner," said the lawyer. " It
will be best to have our judgment recorded in that county
to-morrow," he continued. " Could you go down to Port
William ? "

" Yes, sir," said Jack, a little reluctant to go back.
" I could if I must."

" I don't think the mail will do," added Mr. Beal.
"This thing came just in time. We should have sold the
claim to-night. This land ought to fetch five hundred
dollars."

Mr. Tinkham, agent for Francis Gray, was much dis-
appointed that night when Mrs. Dudley refused to sell her
claim against Gray.

" You'll never get anything any other way," he said.

" Perhaps not, but we've concluded to wait," said
Mrs. Dudley. " We can't do much worse if we get
nothing at all."

After a moment's reflection, Mr. Tinkham said :

" I'll do a little better by you, Mrs. Dudley. I'll give
you a hundred and fifty. That's the very best I can do."

" I will not sell the claim at present," said Mrs. Dud-
ley. " It is of no use to offer."

It would have been better if Mrs. Dudley had not
spoken so positively. Mr. Tinkham was set a-thinking.

132 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

Why wouldn't the widow sell ? Why had she changed
her mind since yesterday ? Why did Mr. Beal, the law-
yer, not appear at the consultation? All these questions
the shrewd little Tinkham asked himself, and all these
questions he asked of Francis Gray that evening.

CHAPTER XX.

A FOOT-RACE FOR MONEY.

" THEY'VE got wind of something," said Mr. Tinkham to
Mr. Gray, " or else they are waiting for you to resume
payment, or else the widow's got money from some-
where for her present necessities."

" I don't know what hope they can have of getting
money out of me," said Gray, with a laugh. " I've tan-
gled everything up, so that Beai can't find a thing to levy
on. I have but one piece of property exposed, and
that's not in this State."

" Where is it ? " asked Tinkham.

" It's in Kentucky, five miles back of Port William.
I took it last week in a trade, and I haven't yet made up
my mind what to do with it."

" That's the very thing," said Tinkham, with his little
face drawn to a point, " the very thing. Mrs. Dud-
ley's son came home from Port William yesterday, where
he has been at school. They've heard of that land, I'm
afraid ; for Mrs. Dudley is very positive that she will not
sell the claim at any price."

"I'll make a mortgage to my brother on that land,

134 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

.and send it off from the mail-boat as I go down to-mor-
row," said Gray.

" That'll be too late," said Tinkham. "Beal will have
his judgment recorded as soon as the packet gets there.
You'd better go by the packet, get off, and see the mort-
gage recorded yourself, and then take the mail-boat."

To this Gray agreed, and the next day, when Jack
went on board the packet " Swiftsure," he found Mr.
Francis Gray going aboard also. Mr. Beal had warned
Jack that he must not let anybody from the packet get to
the clerk's office ahead of him, that the first paper de-
posited for record would take the land. Jack wondered
why Mr. Francis Gray was aboard the packet, which
went no farther than Madison, while Mr. Gray's home
was in Louisville. He soon guessed, however, that Gray
meant to land at Port William, and so to head him off.
Jack looked at Mr. Gray's form, made plump by good
feeding, and felt safe. He couldn't be very dangerous in
a foot-race. Jack reflected with much hopefulness that no
boy in school could catch him in a straight-away run
when he was fox. He would certainly leave the some-
what puffy Mr. Francis Gray behind.

But in the hour's run down the river, including two
landings at Minuit's and Craig's, Jack had time to re-
member that Francis Gray was a cunning man, and
might head him off by some trick or other. A vague
fear took possession of him, and he resolved to be first

A FOOT-RACE FOR MONEY. 135

off the boat before any pretext could be invented to stop
him.

Meantime, Francis Gray had looked at Jack's lithe
legs with apprehension. " I can never beat that boy,"
he had reflected. " My running days are over." Find-
ing among the deck . passengers a young fellow who
looked as though he needed money, Gray approached
him with this question :

" Do you belong in Port William, young man ? "

" I don't belong nowhere else, I reckon," answered
the seedy fellow, with shuffling impudence.

" Do you know where the county clerk's office is? "
asked Mr. Gray.

" Yes, and the market-house. I can show you the way
to the jail, too, if you want to know ; but I s'pose you've
been there many a time," laughed the " wharf rat."

Gray was irritated at this rudeness, but he swallowed
his anger.

" Would you like to make five dollars ? "

" Now you're talkin' interestin'. Why didn't you
begin at that eend of the subjick ? I'd like to make five
dollars as well as the next feller, provided it isn't to be
made by too much awful hard work."

" Can you run well ? "

"Ifthey's money at t'other eend of the race I can
run like sixty fer a spell. 'Tain't my common gait, how-
sumever."

136 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

" If you'll take this paper," said Gray, " and get it to
the county clerk's office before anybody else gets there
from this boat, I'll give you five dollars."

" Honor bright ? " asked the chap, taking the paper,
drawing a long breath, and looking as though he had dis-
covered a gold mine.

" Honor bright," answered Gray. "You must jump
off first of all, for there's a boy aboard that will beat you
if he can. No pay if you don't win."

" Which is the one that'll run ag'in' me ? " asked the
long-legged fellow.

Gray described Jack, and told the young man to go
out forward and he would see him. Gray was not will-
ing to be seen with the " wharf-rat," lest suspicions
should be awakened in Jack Dudley's mind. But after
the shabby young man had gone forward and looked at
Jack, he came back with a doubtful air.

" That's Hoosier Jack, as we used to call him," said
the shabby young man. " He an' two more used to row
a boat acrost the river every day to go to ole Niles's
school. He's a hard one to beat, they say he used to
lay the whole school out on prisoners' base, and that he
could leave 'em all behind on fox."

" You think you can't do it, then ? " asked Gray.

" Gimme a little start and I reckon I'll fetch it. It's
up-hill part of the way and he may lose his wind, for it's
a good half-mile. You must make a row with him at the

A FOOT-RACE FOR MONEY.

'37

gang-plank, er do somethin' to kinder hold him back.
The wind's down stream to-day and the boat's shore to
swing in a little aft. I'll jump for it and you keep him
back."

To this Gray assented.

As the shabby young fellow had predicted, the boat
did swing around in the wind, and have some trouble in
bringing her bow to the wharf-boat. The captain stood
on the hurricane-deck calling to the pilot to " back her,"
"stop her," " go ahead on her,"" go ahead on yer
labberd," and " back on yer stabberd." Now, just as the
captain was backing the starboard wheel and going ahead
on his larboard, so as to bring the boat around right,
Mr. Gray turned on Jack.

" What are you treading on my toes for, you im-
pudent young rascal ? " he broke out.

Jack colored and was about to reply sharply, when he
caught sight of the shabby young fellow, who just then
leaped from the gunwale of the boat amidships and
barely reached the wharf. Jack guessed why Gray had
tried to irritate him, he saw that the well-known
" wharf-rat " was to be his competitor. But what could
he do ? The wind held the bow of the boat out, the
gang-plank which had been pushed out ready to reach
the wharf-boat was still firmly grasped by the deck-
hands, and the farther end of it was six feet from the
wharf, and much above it. It would be some minutes

138 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

before any one could leave the boat in the regular way.
There was only one chance to defeat the rascally Gray.
Jack concluded to take it.

He ran out upon the plank amidst the harsh cries of
the deck-hands, who tried to stop him, and the oaths of
the mate, who thundered at him, with the stern order of
the captain from the upper deck, who called out to him
to go back.

But, luckily, the steady pulling ahead of the lar-
board engine, and the backing of the starboard, began
just then to bring the boat around, the plank sank down
a little under Jack's weight, and Jack made the leap to
the wharf, hearing the confused cries, orders, oaths, and
shouts from behind him, as he pushed through the crowd.

" Stop that thief! " cried Francis Gray to the people
on the wharf-boat, but in vain. Jack glided swiftly
through the people, and got on shore before anybody
could check him. He charged up the hill after the
shabby young fellow, who had a decided lead, while
some of the men on the wharf-boat pursued them both,
uncertain which was the thief. Such another pell-mell
race Port William had never seen. Windows flew up
and heads went out. Small boys joined the pursuing
crowd, and dogs barked indiscriminately and uncertainly
at the heels of everybody. There were cries of "Hurrah
for long Ben ! " and " Hurrah for Hoosier Jack ! " Some
of Jack's old school-mates essayed to stop him to find out

A FOOT-RACE FOR MONEY. 139

what it was all about, but he would not relax a muscle,
and he had no time to answer any questions. He saw
the faces of the people dimly ; he heard the crowd crying
after him, "Stop, thief!" he caught a glimpse of his,,
old teacher, Mr. Niles, regarding him with curiosity as he
darted by ; he saw an anxious look in Judge Kane's face
as he passed him on a street corner. But Jack held his
eyes on Long Ben, whom he pursued as a dog does a
fox. He had steadily gained on the fellow, but Ben had
too much the start, and, unless he should give out, there
would be little chance for Jack to overtake him. One
thinks quickly in such moments. Jack remembered that
there were two ways of reaching the county clerk's office.
To keep the street around the block was the natural way,
to take an alley through the square was neither longer
nor shorter. But by running down the alley he would
deprive Long Ben of the spur of seeing his pursuer, and
he might even make him think that Jack had given out.
Jack had played this trick when playing hound and fox,
and at any rate he would by this turn shake off the
crowd. So into the alley he darted, and the bewildered
pursuers kept on crying " stop thief!" after Long Ben,
whose reputation was none of the best. Somebody
ahead tried to catch the shabby young fellow, and this
forced Ben to make a slight curve, which gave Jack the
advantage, so that just as Ben neared the office, Jack
rounded a corner out of an alley, and entered ahead of

I4O THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

him, dashed up to the clerk's desk and deposited the
judgment.

" For record," he gasped.

The next instant the shabby young fellow pushed
forward the mortgage.

" Mine first ! " cried Long Ben.

" I'll take yours when I get this entered," said the
clerk, quietly, as became a public officer.

" I got here first," said Long Ben.

But the clerk looked at the clock and entered the date
on the back of Jack's paper, putting " one o'clock and
eighteen minutes " after the date. Then he wrote " one
o'clock and nineteen minutes " on the paper which Long
Ben handed him. The office was soon crowded with
people discussing the result of the race, and a part of
them were even now in favor of seizing one or the other
of the runners for a theft, which some said had been
committed on the packet, and others declared was com-
mitted on the wharf-boat. Francis Gray came in, and
could not conceal his chagrin.

" I meant to do the fair thing by you," he said to
Jack, severely, " but now you'll never get a cent out of
me."

" I'd rather have the law on men like you, than have
a thousand of your sort of fair promises," said Jack.

" I've a mind to strike you," said Gray.

"The Kentucky law is hard on a man who strikes a

A FOOT-RACE FOR MONEY. 141

minor," said Judge Kane, who had entered at that
moment.

Mr. Niles came in to learn what was the matter, and
Judge Kane, after listening quietly to the talk of the
people, until the excitement subsided, took Jack over to
his house, whence the boy trudged home in the late
afternoon full of hopefulness.

Gray's land realized as much as Mr. Beal expected,
and Jack studied hard all summer, so as to get as far
ahead as possible by the time school should begin in the
autumn.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE NEW TEACHER.

THE new teacher who was employed to take the Green-
bank school in the autumn was a young man from col-
lege. Standing behind the desk hitherto occupied by
the grim-faced Mr. Ball, young Williams looked very
mild by contrast. He was evidently a gentle-spirited
man as compared with the old master, and King Pewee
and his crowd were gratified in noting this fact. They
could have their own way with such a master as
that ! When he called the school to order, there re-
mained a bustle of curiosity and mutual recognition
among the children. Riley and Pewee kept up a little
noise by way of defiance. They had heard that the new
master did not intend to whip. Now he stood quietly
behind his desk, and waited a few moments in silence for
the whispering group to be still. Then he slowly raised
and levelled his finger at Riley and Pewee, but still said
nothing. There was something so firm and quiet about
his motion something that said, " I will wait all day, but
you must be still " that the boys could not resist it.

By the time they were quiet, two of the girls had got

THE NEW TEACHER. 143

into a titter over something, and the forefinger was aimed
at them. The silent man made the pupils understand
that he was not to be trifled with.

When at length there was quiet, he made every one
lay down book or slate and face around toward him.
Then with his pointing finger, or with a little slap of his"
hands together, or with a word or two at most, he got the
school still again.

" I hope we shall be friends," he said, in a voice full of
kindliness. " All I want is to

But at this point Riley picked up his slate and book,
and turned away. The master snapped his fingers, but
Riley affected not to hear him.

"That young man will put down his slate." The
master spoke in a low tone, as one who expected to be
obeyed, and the slate was reluctantly put upon the
desk.

" When I am talking to you, I want you to hear," he
went on, very quietly. " I am paid to teach you. One
of the things I have to teach you is good manners.
You," pointing to Riley, "are old enough to know -bet-
ter than to take your slate when your teacher is speak-
ing, but perhaps you have never been taught what are
good manners. I'll excuse you this time. Now, you
all see those switches hanging here behind me. I did
not put them there. I do not say that I shall not use
them. Some boys have to be whipped, I suppose, like

144 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

mules, and when I have tried, I may find that I cannot
get on without the switches, but I hope not to have to
use them."

Here Riley, encouraged by the master's mildness and
irritated by the rebuke he had received, began to make
figures on his slate.

" Bring me that slate," said the teacher.

Riley was happy that he had succeeded in starting a
row. He took his slate and his arithmetic, and shuffled
up to the master in a half-indolent, half-insolent way.

" Why do you take up your work when I tell you not
to ? " asked the new teacher.

" Because I didn't want to waste all my morning. I
wanted to do my sums."

"You are a remarkably industrious youth, I take it."
The young master looked Riley over, as he said this,
from head to foot. The whole school smiled, for there
was no lazier boy than this same Riley. " I suppose,"
the teacher continued, " that you are the best scholar in
school the bright and shining light of Greenbank."

Here there was a general titter at Riley.

" I cannot have you sit away down at the other end
of the school-room and hide your excellent example from
the rest. Stand right up here by me and cipher, that all
the school may see how industrious you are."

Riley grew very red in the face and pretended to
" cipher," holding his book in his hand.

THE NEW TEACHER. 145

" Now," said the new teacher, " I have but just one
rule for this school, and I will write it on the blackboard
that all may see it."

He took chalk and wrote :

DO RIGHT.

" That is all. Let us go to our lessons."

For the first two hours "that Riley stood on the floor
he pretended to enjoy it. But when recess came and
went and Mr. Williams did not send him to his seat, he
began to shift from one foot to the other and from his
heels to his toes, and to change his slate from the right
hand to the left. His class was called, and after recita-
tion he was sent back to his place. He stood it as best
he could until the noon recess, but when, at the begin-
ning of the afternoon session, Mr. Williams again called
his " excellent scholar" and set him up, Riley broke down
and said :

" I think you might let me go now."

" Are you tired ? " asked the cruel Mr. Williams.
, "Yes, I am," and Riley hung his head, while the rest
smiled.

" And are you ready to do what the good order of
the school requires ? "

" Yes, sir."

" Very well ; you can go."

The chopfallen Riley went back to his seat, convinced
9

146 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

that it would not do to rebel against the new teacher,
even if he did not use the beech switches.

But Mr. Williams was also quick to detect the willing
scholar. He gave Jack extra help on his Latin after
school was out, and Jack grew very proud of the teacher's
affection for him.

CHAPTER XXII.

CHASING THE FOX.

ALL the boys in the river towns thirty years ago and
therefore the boys in Greenbank, also took a great in-
terest in the steam-boats which plied up and down the
Ohio. Each had. his favorite boat, and boasted of her
speed and excellence. Every one of them envied those
happy fellows whose lot it was to " run on the river" as
cabin-boys. Boats were a common topic of conversation
their build, their engines, their speed, their officers,
their mishaps, and all the incidents of their history.

So it was that from the love of steam-boats, which
burned so brightly in the bosom of the boy who lived on
the banks of that great and lovely river, there grew up the
peculiar game of "boats' names." I think the game was
started at Louisville or New Albany, where the falls inter-
rupt navigation, and where many boats of the upper and
lower rivers are assembled.

One day, as the warm air of Indian summer in this
mild climate made itself felt, the boys assembled, on the
evergreen "blue-grass." after the snack at the noon re-
cess, to play boats' names.

148 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

Through Jack's influence, Columbus, who did not like
to play with the ABC boys, was allowed to take the
handkerchief and give out the first name. All the rest
stood up in a row like a spelling-class, while little Colum-
bus, standing in front of them, held a knotted handker-
chief with which to scourge them when the name should
be guessed. The arm which held the handkerchief was
so puny that the boys laughed to see the feeble lad stand
there in a threatening attitude.

" I say, Lum, don't hit too hard, now ; my back is
tender," said Bob Holliday.

" Give us an easy one to guess," said Riley, coaxingly.

Columbus, having come from the back country, did
not know the names of half a dozen boats, and what he
knew about were those which touched daily at the wharf
of Greenbank.

" F n," he said.

"Fashion," cried all the boys at once, breaking into
unrestrained mirth at the simplicity that gave them the
name of Captain Glenn's little Cincinnati and Port William
packet, which landed daily at the village wharf. Colum-
bus now made a dash at the boys, who were obliged to
run to the school-house and back whenever a name was
guessed, suffering a beating all the way from the handker-
chief of the one who had given out the name, though, in-
deed, the punishment Lum was able to give was very
slight. It was doubtful who had guessed first, since the

CHASING THE FOX. 149

whole party had cried " Fashion " almost together, but it
was settled at last in favor of Harry Weathervane, who
was sure to give out hard names, since he had been to
Cincinnati recently, and had gone along the levee reading
the names of those boats that did business above that city,
and so were quite unknown, unless by report, to the boys
of Greenbank.

" A A s," were the three letters which Harry

gave, and Ben Berry guessed " Archibald Ananias," and
Tom Holcroft said it was " Amanda Amos," and at last
all gave it up ; whereupon Harry told them it was " Alvin
Adams," and proceeded to give out another.

" C A P x," he said next time.

" Caps," said Riley, mistaking the x for an s ; and
then Bob Holliday suggested " Hats and Caps," and Jack
wanted to have it " Boots and Shoes." But Johnny Me-
line remembered that he had read of such a name for a
ship in his Sunday-school lesson of the previous Sunday,
and he guessed that a steam-boat might bear that same.

" I know," said Johnny, " it's Castor

" Oil," suggested Jack.

No Castor and P, x, Pollux Castor and Pollux-
it's a Bible name."

" You're not giving us the name of Noah's ark, are
you ? " asked Bob.

" I say, boys, that isn't fair a bit," growled Pewee, in
all earnestness. " I don't hardly believe that Bible ship's

I5O THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

a-going now." Things were mixed in Pewee's mind, but
he had a vague notion that Bible times were as much as
fifty years ago. While he stood doubting, Harry began
to whip him with the handkerchief, saying, " I saw her at
Cincinnati, last week. She runs to Maysville and Par-
kersburg, you goose."

After many names had been guessed, and each
guesser had taken his turn, Ben Berry had to give out.
He had just heard the name of a " lower country " boat,
and was sure that it would not be guessed.

" C p r," he said.

" Oh, I know," said Jack, who had been studying
the steam-boat column of an old Louisville paper that
very morning, " it's the the " and he put his hands
over his ears, closed his eyes, and danced around, try-
ing to remember, while all the rest stood and laughed at
his antics. " Now I've got it, the ' Cornplanter ' ! "

And Ben Berry whipped the boys across the road and
back, after which Jack took the handkerchief.

" Oh, say, boys, this is a poor game ; let's play fox,"
Bob suggested. "Jack's got the handkerchief, let him
be the first fox."

So Jack took a hundred yards' start, and all the boys
set out after him. The fox led the hounds across the com-
mons, over the bars, past the " brick pond," as it was
called, up the lane into Moro's pasture, along the hill-
side to the west across Dater's fence into Betts's pasture ;

CHASING THE FOX. 151

thence over into the large woods pasture of the Glade
farm. In every successive field some of the hounds had
run off to the flank, and by this means every attempt of
Jack's to turn toward the river, and thus fetch a circuit
for home, had been foiled. They had cut him off from
turning through Moro's orchard or Betts's vineyard, and
so there was nothing for the fleet-footed fox but to keep
steadily to the west and give his pursuers no chance to
make a cut-off on him. But every now and then he
made a feint of turning, which threw the others out of a
straight track. Once in the woods pasture, Jack found
himself out of breath, having run steadily for a rough
mile and a half, part of it up-hill. He was yet forty
yards ahead of Bob Holliday and Riley, who led the
hounds. Dashing into a narrow path through the under-
brush, Jack ran into a little clump of bushes and hid be-
hind a large black-walnut log.

Riley and Holliday came within six feet of him, some
of the others passed to the south of him and some to
the north, but all failed to discover his lurking-place.
Soon Jack could hear them beating about the bushes be-
yond him.

This was his time. Having recovered his wind, he
crept out southward until he came to the foot of the hill,
and entered Glade's lane, heading straight for the river
across the wide plain. Pewee, who had perched himself
on a fence to rest, caught sight of Jack first, and soon

152 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

the whole pack were in full cry after him, down the long,
narrow elder-bordered lane. Bob Holliday and Riley,
the fleetest of foot, climbed over the high stake-and-
rider fence into Betts's corn-field, and cut off a diagonal
to prevent Jack's getting back toward the school-house.
Seeing this movement, Jack, who already had made an
extraordinary run, crossed the fence himself, and tried to
make a cut-off in spite of them ; but Riley already had
got in ahead of him, and Jack, seeing the boys close be-
hind and before him, turned north again toward the hill,
got back into the lane, which was now deserted, and
climbed into Glade's meadow on the west side of the
lane. He now had a chance to fetch a sweep around
toward the river again, though the whole troop of boys
were between him and the school-house. Fairly headed
off on the east, he made a straight run south for the
river shore, striking into a deep gully, from which he
came out panting upon the beach, where he had just
time to hide himself in a hollow sycamore, hoping that
the boys would get to the westward and give him a
chance to run up the river shore for the school-house.

But one cannot play the same trick twice. Some of
the boys stationed themselves so as to intercept Jack's
retreat toward the school-house, while the rest searched
for him, beating up and down the gully, and up and
down the beach, until they neared the hollow sycamore.
Jack made a sharp dash to get through them, but was

CHASING THE FOX. 153

headed off and caught by Pevvee. Just as Jack was
caught, and Pewee was about to start homeward as fox,
the boys caught sight of two steam-boats racing down the
river. The whole party was soon perched on a fallen
sycamore, watching first the "Swiftsure" and then the
" Ben Franklin," while the black smoke poured from
their chimneys. So fascinated were they with this ex-
citing contest that they stayed half an hour waiting to see
which should beat. At length, as the boats passed out
of sight, with the " Swiftsure " leading her competitor, it
suddenly occurred to Jack that it must be later than the
school-hour. The boys looked aghast at one another a
moment on hearing him mention this : then they glanced
at the sun, already declining in the sky, and set out for
school, trotting swiftly in spite of their fatigue.

What would the master say? Pewee said he didn't
care, it wasn't Old Ball, and they wouldn't get a whip-
ping, anyway. But Jack thought that it was too bad to
lose the confidence of Mr. Williams.

CHAPTER XXIII.

CALLED TO ACCOUNT.

SUCCESSFUL hounds, having caught their fox, ought to
have come home in triumph ; but, instead of that, they
came home like dogs that had been killing sheep, their
heads hanging down in a guilty and self-betraying way.

Jack walked into the school-house first. It was an
hour and a half past the time for the beginning of school.
He tried to look unconcerned as he went to his seat.
There stood the teacher, with his face very calm but very
pale, and Jack felt his heart sink.

One by one the laggards filed into the school-room,
while the awe-stricken girls on the opposite benches, and
the little ABC boys, watched the guilty sinners take
their places, prepared to meet their fate.

Riley came in with a half-insolent smile on his face, as
if to say: " I don't care." Pewee was sullen and bull-
doggish. Ben Berry looked the sneaking fellow he was,
and Harry Weathervane tried to remember that his
father was a school-trustee. Bob Holliday couldn't help
laughing in a foolish way. Columbus had fallen out of
the race before he got to the "brick-pond," and so had

CALLED TO ACCOUNT. 155

returned in time to be punctual when school resumed its
session.

During all the time that the boys, heated with their
exercise and blushing with shame, were filing in, Mr.
Williams stood with set face and regarded them. He
was very much excited, and so I suppose did not dare to
reprove them just then. He called the classes and heard
them in rapid succession, until it was time for the spell-
ing-class, which comprised all but the very youngest
pupils. On this day, instead of calling the spelling-class,
he said, evidently with great effort to control himself:
" The girls will keep their seats. The boys v/ill take
their places in the spelling-class."

Riley's lower jaw fell he was sure that the master
meant to flog them all. He was glad he was not at
the head of the class. Ben Berry could hardly drag his
feet to his place, and poor Jack was filled with confusion.
When the boys were all in place, the master walked up
and down the line and scrutinized them, while Riley cast
furtive glances at the dusty old beech switches on the
wall, wondering which one the master would use, and
Pewee was trying to guess whether Mr. Williams's arm
was strong, and whether he "would make a fellow take
off his coat " or not.

" Columbus," said the teacher, " you can take your
seat."

Riley shook in his shoes, thinking that this certainly

1 56 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY,

meant a whipping. He began to frame excuses in his
mind, by which to try to lighten his punishment.

But the master did not take down his switches. He
only talked. But such a talk ! He told the boys how
worthless a man was who could not be trusted, and how
he had hoped for a school full of boys that could be
relied on. He thought there were some boys, at least
and this remark struck Jack to the heart that there were
some boys in the school who would rather be treated as
gentlemen than beaten with ox-gads. But he was now
disappointed. All of them seemed equally willing to
take advantage of his desire to avoid whipping them ;
and all of them had shown themselves unfit to be trusted.

Here he^paused long enough to let the full weight
of his censure enter their minds. Then he began on a
new tack. He had hoped that he might have their
friendship. He had thought that they cared a little for
his good opinion. But now they had betrayed him.
All the town was looking to see whether he would
succeed" in conducting his school without whipping. A
good many would be glad to see him fail. To-day they
would be saying all over Greenbank that the new teacher
couldn't manage his school. Then he told the boys that
while they were sitting on the trunk of the fallen
sycamore looking at the steam-boat race, one of the
trustees, Mr. Weathervane, had driven past and had seen
them there. He had stopped to complain to the master.

CALLED TO ACCOUNT. 157

" Now," said the master, " I have found how little you
care for me."

This was very sharp talk, and it made the boys angry.
Particularly did Jack resent any intimation that he was
not to be trusted. But the new master was excited and
naturally spoke severely. Nor did he give the boys a
chance to explain at that time.

"You have been out of school," he said, "one hour
and thirty-one minutes. That is about equal to six
fifteen-minute recesses to the morning and afternoon
recesses for three days. I shall have to keep you in at
those six recesses to make up the time, and in addition,
as a punishment, I shall keep you in school half an hour
after the usual time of dismission, for three days."

Here Jack made a motion to speak.

" No," said the master, " I will not hear a word,
now. Go home and think it over. To-morrow I mean
to ask each one of you to explain his conduct."

With this, he dismissed the school, and the boys went
out as angry as a hive of bees that have been disturbed.
Each one made his speech. Jack thought it " mean that
the master should say they were not fit to be trusted.
He wouldn't have stayed out if he'd known it was school-
time."

Bob Holliday said "the young master was a blis-
terer," and then he laughed good-naturedly.

Harry Weathervane was angry, and so were all the

158 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

rest. At length it was agreed that they didn't want to
be cross-questioned about it, and that it was better that
somebody should write something that should give Mr.
Williams a piece of their mind, and show him how hard
he was on boys that didn't mean any harm, but only
forgot themselves. And Jack was selected to do the
writing.

Jack made up his mind that the paper he would write
should be " a scorcher."

CHAPTER XXIV.

AN APOLOGY.

OF course, there was a great deal of talk in the village.
The I-told-you-so people were quite delighted. Old
Mother Horn " always knew that boys couldn't be
managed without switching. Didn't the Bible or some-
body say : ' Just as the twig is bent the boy's inclined ? '
And if you don't bend your twig, what'll become of
your boy ? "

The loafers and loungers and gad-abouts and gossips
talked a great deal about the failure of the new plan.
They were sure that Mr. Ball would be back in that
school-house before the term was out, unless Williams
should whip a good deal more than he promised to.
The boys would just drive him out.

Jack told his mother, with a grieved face, how harsh
the new master had been, and how he had even said they
were not fit to be trusted.

"That a very harsh word," said Mrs. Dudley, "but
let us make some allowances. Mr. Williams is on trial
before the town, and he finds himself nearly ruined by
the thoughtlessness of the boys. He had to wait an hour

160 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

and a half with half of the school gone. Think how
much he must have suffered in that time. And then, to
have to take a rebuke from Mr. Weathervane besides,
must have stung him to the quick."

. "Yes, that's so," said Jack, "but then he had no
business to take it for granted that we did it on pur-
pose."

And Jack went about his chores, trying to think of
some way of writing to the master an address which
should be severe, but not too severe. He planned many
things but gave them up. He lay awake in the night
thinking about it, and, at last, when he had cooled off,
he came to the conclusion that, as the boys had been the
first offenders, they should take the first step toward a
reconciliation. But whether he could persuade the angry
boys to see it in that light, he did not know.

When morning came, he wrote a very short paper,
somewhat in this fashion :

" MR. WILLIAMS.

"Dear Sir : We are very sorry for what we did yesterday, and for the
trouble we have given you. We are willing to take the punishment, for we
think we deserve it ; but we hope you will not think that we did it on pur-
pose, for we did not, and we don't like to have you think so.

" Respectfully submitted."

Jack carried this in the first place to his faithful friend
Bob Holliday, who read it.

" Oh, you've come down, have you ? " said Bob.

AN APOLOGY..

" I thought we ought to," said Jack. " We did give
him a great deal of trouble, and if it had been Mr. Ball,
he would have whipped us half to death."

" We shouldn't have forgot and gone away at that
time if Old Ball had been the master," said Bob.

" That's just it," said Jack ; " that's the very reason
why we ought to apologize."

" All right," said Bob, " I'll sign her," and he wrote
" Robert M. Holliday " in big letters at the top of the
column intended for the names. Jack put his name
under Bob's.

But when they got to the school-house it was not so
easy to persuade the rest. At length, however, Johnny
Meline signed it, and then Harry Weathervane, and
then the rest, one after another, with some grumbling,
wrote their names. All subscribed to it excepting Pewee
and Ben Berry and Riley. They declared they never
would sign it. They didn't want to be kept in at recess
and after school like convicts. They didn't deserve it.

"Jack is a soft-headed fool," Riley said, "to draw
up such a thing as that. I'm not afraid of the master.
I'm not going to knuckle down to him, either."

Of course, Pewee, as a faithful echo, said just what
Riley said, and Ben Berry said what Riley and Pewee
said ; so that the three were quite unanimous.

" Well," said Jack, " then we'll have to hand in our
petition without the signatures of the triplets."

l62 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

"Don't you call me a triplet," said Pewee ; "I've
got as much sense as any of you. You're a soft-headed
triplet yourself! "

Even Riley had to join in the laugh that followed
this blundering sally of Pewee.

When the master came in, he seemed very much
troubled. He had heard what had been said about the
affair in the town. The address which Jack had written
was lying on his desk. He took it up and read it, and
immediately a look of pleasure and relief took the place
of the worried look he had brought to school with him.

"Boys," he said, " I have received your petition, and
I shall answer it by and by."

The hour for recess came and passed. The girls and
the very little boys were allowed their recess, but
nothing was said to the larger boys about their going
out. Pewee and Riley were defiant.

At length, when the school was about to break up for
noon, the master put his pen, ink, and other little articles
in the desk, and the school grew hushed with expect-
ancy.

"This apology," said Mr. Williams, "which I see is
in John Dudley's handwriting, and which bears the sig-
nature of all but three of those who were guilty of the
offence yesterday, is a very manly apology, and quite in-
creases my respect for those who have signed it. I have
suffered much from your carelessness of yesterday, but

AN APOLOGY. 163

this apology, showing, as it does, the manliness of my
boys, has given me more pleasure than the offence gave
me pain. I ought to make an apology to you. I
blamed you too severely yesterday in accusing you of
running away intentionally. I take all that back."

Here he paused a moment, and looked over the peti-
tion carefully.

" William Riley, I don't see your name here. Why
is that ? "

" Because I didn't put it there."

Pewee and Ben Berry both laughed at this wit.

" Why didn't you put it there ? "

" Because I didn't want to."

" Have you any explanation to give of your conduct
yesterday ? "

' No, sir ; only that I think it's mean to keep us in
because we forgot ourselves."

" Peter Rose, have you anything to say ? "

" Just the same as Will Riley said."

" And you, Benjamin ? "

"Oh, I don't care much," said Ben Berry. "Jack
was fox, and I ran after him, and if he hadn't run all over
creation and part of Columbia, I shouldn't have been
late. It isn't any fault of mine. I think Jack ought to
do the staying in."

" You are about as old a boy as Jack," said the mas-
ter. "I suppose Jack might say that if you and the

164 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

others hadn't chased him, he wouldn't have run ' all over
creation,' as you put it. You and the rest were all guilty
of a piece of gross thoughtlessness. All excepting you
three have apologized in the most manly way. I there-
fore remove the punishment from all the others entirely
hereafter, deeming that the loss of this morning's recess
is punishment enough for boys who can be so manly in
their acknowledgments. Peter Rose, William Riley, and
Benjamin Berry will remain in school at both recesses
and for a half-hour after school every day for three days
not only for having forgotten their duty, but for hav-
ing refused to make acknowledgment or apology."

Going home that evening, half an hour after all the
others had been dismissed, the triplets put all their griefs
together, and resolved to be avenged on Mr. Williams at
the first convenient opportunity.

CHAPTER XXV.

KING'S BASE AND. A SPELLING-LESSON.

As the three who usually gave the most trouble on the
play-ground, as well as in school, were now in detention
at every recess, the boys enjoyed greatly their play dur-
ing these three days.

It was at this time that they began to play that favor-
ite game of Greenbank, which seems to be unknown al-
most everywhere else. It is called " king's base," and
is full of all manner of complex happenings, sudden sur-
prises, and amusing results.

Each of the boys selected a base or goal. A row of
sidewalk trees were favorite bases. There were just as
many bases as boys. Some boy would venture out from
his base. Then another would pursue him ; a third
would chase the two, and so it would go, the one who
left his base latest having the right to catch.

Just as Johnny Meline was about to lay hold on Jack,
Sam Crashaw, having just left his base, gave chase to
Johnny, and just as Sam thought he had a good chance
to catch Johnny, up came Jack, fresh from having
touched his base, and nabbed Sam. When one has

1 66 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

caught another, he has a right to return to his base with
his prisoner, unmolested. The prisoner now becomes an
active champion of the new base, and so the game goes
on until all the bases are broken up but one. Very often
the last boy on a base succeeds in breaking up a strong
one, and, indeed, there is no end to the curious results
attained in the play.

Jack had never got on in his studies as at this time.
Mr. Williams took every opportunity to show his liking
for his young friend, and Jack's quickened ambition soon
put him at the head of his classes. It was a rule that the
one who stood at the head of the great spelling-class on
Friday evenings should go to the foot on Monday, and
so work his way up again. There was a great strife be-
tween Sarah Weathervane and Jack to see which should
go to the foot the oftenest during the term, and so win
a little prize that Mr. Williams had offered to the best
speller in the school. As neither of them ever missed a
word in the lesson, they held the head each alternate Fri-
day evening. In this way the contest bade fair to be a
tie. But Sarah meant to win the prize by fair means or
foul.

One Friday morning before school-time, the boys and
girls were talking about the relative merits of the two
spellers, Joanna maintaining that Sarah was the better,
and others that Jack could spell better than Sarah.

"Oh!" said Sarah Weathervane, " Jack is the best

KING'S BASE AND A SPELLING-LESSON. 167

speller in school. I study till my head aches to get my
lesson, but it is all the same to Jack whether he studies
or not. He has a natural gift for spelling, and he spends
nearly all his time on arithmetic and Latin."

This speech pleased Jack very much. He had stood
at the head of the class all the week, and spelling did
seem to him the easiest thing in the world. That after-
noon he hardly looked at his lesson. It was so nice to
think he could beat Sarah Weathervane with his left
hand, so to speak.

When the great spelling-class was called, he spelled
the words given to him, as usual, and Sarah saw no
chance to get the coveted opportunity to stand at the
head, go down, and spell her way up again. But the
very last word given to Jack was sacrilege, and, not hav-
ing studied the lesson, he spelled it with e in the second
syllable and i in the last. Sarah gave the letters cor-
rectly, and when Jack saw the smile of triumph on her
face, he guessed why she had flattered him that morning.
Hereafter he would not depend on his natural genius for
spelling. A natural genius for working is the best gift.

CHAPTER XXVI.

UNCLAIMED TOP-STRINGS.

WITH a sinking heart, Jack often called to mind that this
was his last term at school. The little money that his fa-
ther had left was not enough to warrant his continuing ;
he must now do something for his own support. He
resolved, therefore, to make the most of his time under
Mr. Williams.

When Pewee, Riley, and Ben Berry got through with
their punishment, they sought some way of revenging
themselves on the master for punishing them, and on
Jack for doing better than they had done, and thus es-
caping punishment. It was a sore thing with them that
Jack had led all the school his way, so that, instead of
the whole herd following King Pewee and Prime Minis-
ter Riley into rebellion, they now " knuckled down to
the master," as Riley called it, under the lead of Jack,
and they even dared to laugh slyly at the inseparable
" triplets.'

The first aim of Pewee and company was to get the
better of the master. They boasted to Jack and Bob that
they would fix Mr. Williams some time, and gave out to

UNCLAIMED TOP-STRINGS. 169

the other boys that they knew where the master spent his
evenings, and they knew how to fix him.

When Jack heard of this, he understood it. The
teacher had a habit of spending an evening, now and then,
at Dr. Lanham's, and the boys no doubt intended to play
a prank on him in going or coming. There being now
no moonlight, the village streets were very dark, and
there was every opportunity for a trick. Riley's father's
house stood next on the street to Dr. Lanham's ; the lots
were divided by an alley. This gave the triplets a good
chance to carry out their designs.

But Bob Holliday and Jack, good friends to the
teacher, thought that it would be fun to watch the con-
spirators and defeat them. So, when they saw Mr. Wil-
liams going to Dr. Lanham's, they stationed themselves
in the dark alley on the side of the street opposite to
Riley's and took observations. Mr. Williams had a habit
of leaving Dr. Lanham's at exactly nine o'clock, and so,
just before nine, the three came out of Riley's yard, and
proceeded in the darkness to the fence of Lanham's door-
yard.

Getting the trunk of one of the large shade-trees be-
tween him and the plotters, Jack crept .up close enough
to guess what they were doing and to overhear their con-
versation. Then he came back to Bob.

" They are tying a string across the sidewalk on Lan-
ham's side of the alley, I believe," whispered Jack, " so

I/O THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.*

as to throw Mr. Williams head foremost into that mud-
hole at the mouth of the alley."

By this time, the three boys had finished their
arrangements and retreated through the gate into the
porch of the Riley house, whence they might keep a
lookout for the catastrophe.

" I'm going to cut that string where it goes around
the tree," said Bob, and he crouched low on the ground,
got the trunk of the tree between him and the Riley
house, and crept slowly across the street.

" I'll capture the string," said Jack, walking off to the
next cross-street, then running around the block until
he came to the back gate of Lanham's yard, which he
entered, running up the walk to the back door. His
knock was answered by Mrs. Lanham.

" Why, Jack, what's the matter ? " she asked, seeing
him at the kitchen door, breathless.

" I want to see Susan, please," he said, " and tell
Mr. Williams not to go yet a minute."

" Here's a mystery," said Mrs. Lanham, returning to
the sitting-room, where the teacher was just rising to say
good-night. " Here's Jack Dudley, at the back door, out
of breath, asking for Susan, and wishing Mr. Williams
not to leave the house yet."

Susan ran to the back door.

" Susan," said Jack, "the triplets have tied a string
from the corner of your fence to the locust-tree, and

UNCLAIMED TOP-STRINGS. I/ 1

they're watching from Riley's porch to see Mr. Williams
fall into the mud-hole. Bob is cutting the string at the
tree, and I want you to go down along the fence and un-
tie it and bring it in. They will not suspect you if they
see you."

" I don't care if they do," said Susan, and she
glided out to the cross-fence which ran along the alley,
followed it to the front, and untied the string, fetching it
back with her. When she got back to the kitchen door
she heard Jack closing the alley gate. He had run off to
join Bob, leaving the string in Susan's hands.

Dr. Lanham and the master had a good laugh over
the captured string, which was made of Pewee's and
Riley's top-strings, tied together.

The triplets did not see Susan go to the fence. They
were too intent on what was to happen to Mr. Williams.
When, at length, he came along safely through the dark-
ness, they were bewildered.

"You didn't tie that string well in the middle,"
growled Pewee at Riley.

"Yes, I did," said Riley. "He must have stepped
over."

" Step over a string a foot high, when he didn't know
it was there ? " said Pewee.

" Let's go and get the string," said Ben Berry.

So out of the gate they sallied, and quickly reached
the place where the string ought to have been.

1/2 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY. -

" I can't find this end," whispered Pewee by the
fence.

" The string's gone ! " broke out Riley, after feeling
up and down the tree for some half a minute.

What could have become of it ? They had been so
near the sidewalk all the time that no one could have
passed without their seeing him.

The next day, at noon-time, when Susan Lanham
brought out her lunch, it was tied with Pewee's new top-
string, the best one in the school.

" That's a very nice string," said Susan.

" It's just like Pewee's top-string," cried Harry Weath-
ervane.

" Is it yours, Pewee? "said Susan, in her sweetest tones.

" No," said the king, with his head down ; " mine's at
home."

" I found this one, last night," said Susan.

And all the school knew that she was tormenting
Pewee, although they could not guess how she had got
his top-string. After a while, she made a dive into her
pocket, and brought out another string.

" Oh," cried Johnny Meline ; " where did you get
that ? "

" I found it."

"That's Will Riley's top-string," said Johnny. "It
was mine. He cheated me out of it by trading an old top
that wouldn't spin."

UNCLAIMED TOP-STRINGS. 173

" That's the way you get your top-strings, is it, Will ?
Is this yours ? " asked the tormenting Susan.

" No, it isn't."

" Of course it isn't yours. You don't tie top-strings
across the sidewalk at night. You're a gentleman, you
are ! Come, Johnny, this string doesn't belong to any-
body ; I'll trade with you for that old top that Will gave
you for a good string. I want something to remember
honest Will Riley by."

Johnny gladly pocketed the string, and Susan carried
off the shabby top, to the great amusement of the school,
who now began to understand how she had come by the
two top-strings.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, AND THE LAST CHAPTER OF
THE STORY.

IT was the last day of the spring term of school. With
Jack this meant the end of his opportunity for going to
school. What he should learn hereafter he must learn
by himself. The money was nearly out, and he must
go to work.

The last day of school meant also the expiration of
the master's authority. Whatever evil was done after
school-hours on the last day was none of his business.
All who had grudges carried them forward to that day,
for thus they could revenge themselves without being
called to account by the master the next day. The last
day of school had no to-morrow to be afraid of. Hence,
Pewee and his friends proposed to square accounts on the
last day of school with Jack Dudley, whom they hated for
being the best scholar, and for having outwitted them
more than once.

It was on the first day of June that the school ended,
and Mr. Williams bade his pupils good-bye. The warm
sun had by this time brought the waters of the Ohio to

THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. 175

a temperature that made bathing pleasant, and when the
school closed, all the boys, delighted with liberty, rushed
to the river for a good swim together. In that genial
climate one can remain in the water for hours at a time,
and boys become swimmers at an early age.

Just below the village a raft was moored, and from
this the youthful swimmers were soon diving into the
deep water like frogs. Every boy who could perform
any feat of agility displayed it. One would turn a
somersault in the water, and then dive from one side of
the raft to another, one could float, and another swim on
his back, while a third was learning to tread water.
Some were fond of diving toes downward, others took
headers. " The little fellows " who could not swim kept
on the inside of the great raft and paddled about with
the aid of slabs used for floats. Jack, who had lived for
years on the banks of the Wildcat, could swim and dive
like a musquash.

Mr. Williams, the teacher, felt lonesome at saying
good-bye to his school ; and to keep the boys company
as long as possible, he strolled down to the bank and sat
on the grass watching the bathers below him, plung-
ing and paddling in all the spontaneous happiness of
young life.

Riley and Pewee conspirators to the last had their
plans arranged. When Jack should get his clothes on,
they intended to pitch him off the raft for a good wetting,

i;6 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

and thus gratify their long-hoarded jealousy, and get an
offset to the standing joke about doughfaces and ghosts
which the town had at their expense. Ben Berry, who
was their confidant, thought this a capital plan.

When at length Jack had enjoyed the water enough,
he came out and was about to begin dressing. Pewee
and Riley were close at hand, already dressed, and pre-
pared to give Jack a farewell ducking.

But just at that moment there came from the other
end of the raft, and from the spectators on the bank, a
wild, confused cry, and all turned to hearken. Harry
Weathervane's younger brother, whose name was An-
drew Jackson, and who could not swim, in dressing,
had stepped too far backward and gone off the raft. He
uttered a despairing and terrified scream, struck out
wildly and blindly, and went down.

All up and down the raft and up and down the bank
there went up a cry : " Andy is drowning !" while every-
body looked for somebody else to save him.

The school-master was sitting on the bank, and saw
the accident. He quickly slipped off his boots, but
then he stopped, for Jack had already started on a splen-
did run down that long raft. The confused and terrified
boys made a path for him quickly, as he came on at more
than the tremendous speed he had always shown in
games. He did not stop to leap, but ran full tilt off the
raft, falling upon the drowning boy and carrying him

THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. 177

completely under water with him. Nobody breathed
during the two seconds that Jack, under water, struggled
to get a good hold on Andy and to keep Andy from dis-
abling him by his blind grappling of Jack's limbs.

When at length Jack's head came above water, there
was an audible sigh of relief from all the on-lookers. But
the danger was not over.

" Let go of my arms, Andy ! " cried Jack. " You'll
drown us both if you hold on that way. If you don't let
go I'll strike you."

Jack knew that it was sometimes necessary to stun a
drowning person before you could save him, where he
persisted in clutching his deliverer. But poor frightened
Andy let go of Jack's arms at last. Jack was already ex-
hausted with swimming, and he had great difficulty in
dragging the little fellow to the raft, where Will Riley
and Pewee Rose pulled him out of the water.

But now, while all were giving attention to the res-
cued Andy, there occurred with Jack one of those events
which people call a cramp. I do not know what to call it,
but it is not a cramp. It is a kind of collapse a sudden
exhaustion that may come to the best of swimmers.
The heart insists on resting, the consciousness grows dim,
the will-power flags, and the strong swimmer sinks.

Nobody was regarding Jack, who first found himself
unable to make even an effort to climb on the raft ; then
his hold on its edge relaxed, and he slowly sank out

1/8 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

of sight. Pewee saw his sinking condition first, and
cried out, as did Riley and all the rest, doing nothing to
save Jack, but running up and down the raft in a vain
search for a rope or a pole.

The school-master, having seen that Andy was
brought out little worse for his fright and the water
he had swallowed, was about to put on his boots when
this new alarm attracted his attention to Jack Dudley.
Instantly he threw off his coat and was bounding down
the steep bank, along the plank to the raft, and then along
the raft to where Jack had sunk entirely out of sight. Mr.
Williams leaped head first into the water and made what
the boys afterward called a splendid dive. Once under
water he opened his eyes and looked about for Jack.

At last he came up, drawing after him the uncon-
scious and apparently lifeless form of Jack, who wai>
taken from the water by the boys. The teacher de-
spatched two boys to bring Dr. Lanham, while he set
himself to restore consciousness by producing artificial
breathing. It was some time after Dr. Lanham's arrival
that Jack fully regained his consciousness, when he was
carried home by the strong arms of Bob Holliday, Will
Riley, and Pewee, in turn.

And here I must do the last two boys the justice to
say that they called to inquire after Jack every day dur-
ing the illness that followed, and the old animosity to Jack
was never afterward revived by Pewee and his friends.

THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. l8l

On the evening after this accident and these rescues,
Dr. Lanhani said to Mrs. Lanham and Susan and Mr.
Williams, who happened to be there again, that a boy
was wanted in the new drug-store in the village, to learn
the business, and to sleep in the back room, so as to at-
tend night-calls. Dr. Lanham did not know why this
Jack Dudley wouldn't be just the boy.

Susan, for her part, was very sure he would be ; and
Mr. Williams agreed with Susan, as, indeed, he generally
did.

Dr. Lanham thought that Jack might be allowed to
attend school in the daytime in the winter season, and if
the boy had as good stuff in him as he seemed to have,
there was no reason why he shouldn't come to something
some day.

"Come to something!" said Susan. "Come to
something ! Why, he'll make one of the best doctors
in the country yet."

And again Mr. Williams entirely agreed with Susan.
Jack Dudley was sure to go up to the head of the class.

Jack got the place, and I doubt not fulfilled the hope
of his friends. I know this, at least, that when a year or
so later his good friend and teacher, Mr. Williams, was
married to his good and stanch friend, Susan Lanham,
Jack's was one of the happiest faces at the wedding.

THE END.

SCRIBNER'S LIST OF

NEW JUVENILE BOOKS,

THE STORY OF ROLAND.

BY JAMES BALDWIN.
With a series of illustrations by R. B. Birch. One volume, square I2mo $2.00

This volume is intended as a companion to The Story of Siegfried. As Sieg-
fried was an adaptation of Northern myths and romances to the wants and the
understanding of young readers, sc is this story a similar adaptation of the middle-
age romances relating to Charlemagne and his paladins. As Siegfried was the
greatest of the heroes of the North, so too was Roland the most famous among
the Knights of the Middle-Ages. While The Story of Siegfried exemplifies the
sublime old-world spirit of the Gothic nature myths, its counterpart, The Story of
Roland, is less remote, and the incidents, though equally wonderful, are of a more
human character and appeal with greater force to our sympathies. In Mr. Bald-
win's hands the different legends of Roland and his companions are here fused
into a straightforward story. All the available sources have been drawn upor
from the old French epic, the Chanson de Roland and the English chronicles, to ti
more fanciful romances of Boiardo, Ariosto, and Pulci ; and the history, the man
ners and customs of the time, as well as all that pertains to the institution of
chivalry, have been faithfully and yet vividly represented.

Mr. Birch has contributed a number of spirited illustrations that bring clearly
before the eye the forms of Roland and his friend Oliver, of Ogier, the Dane, and
other famous knights and paladins, as well as the scenes of their wondrous exploits
and adventures.

BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG.

HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY.

BY EDWARD EGGLESTON,
Author of "The Hoosier Schoolmaster," etc.

With full page Illustrations.
I vol., I2mo $1.00

Mr. Eggleston is one of ihe very few American novelists who have succeeded in
giving to their work a genuine savor of the soil, a distinctively American character.
His Roxy t Hoosier Schoolmaster, Circuit Rider, and the rest, are home-spun and
native in all their features. The ^cene cf the stories is the Western Reserve, and
the characters are types of the pioneers of the early part of this century, in the
territory now comprised in Indiana and Ohio.

The Hoosier School-boy, as its title shows, belongs to the same locality, and
depicts some of the characteristics of boy life, years ago, on the Ohio, character-
istics, however, that were not peculiar to that section only. The story presents a
vivid and interesting picture of the difficulties which in those days beset the path
of the youth aspiring for an education. These obstacles, which the hero of the
story succeeds by his genuine manliness and force of character in surmounting, are
just such as a majority of the most distinguished Americans, in all walks of life,
including Lincoln and Garfield, have had to contend with, and which they have
made the stepping stone to their future greatness. Mr. Bush's strong and life-like
illustrations add much to the attractiveness of the book.

THE STORY OF SIEGFRIED.

BY JAMES BALDWIN.
With a series of superb illustrations by Howard Pyle. One volume, square

121110 , $2.0O

" To wise parents who strive, as all parents should do, to regulate and supervise their chil-
dren's reading, this book is most earnestly commended. Would there were more of its type and
excellence. It has our most hearty approval and recommendation in every way, not only for
beauty of illustration, which is of the highest order, but for the fascinating manner in which the
old Norse legend is told." The Churchman.

" What more calculated to inspire the courage, to elevate the imagination, to mould the con-
duct of youth, than these reproductions of the heroic legends of the old Norse and German folk ? "
Minneapolis Tribune.

" No more delightful reading for the young can be imagined than that provided in this inter-
esting book, and the manner of the recital is so graceful that older readers will derive from it
scarcely less pleasure." Hasten Saturday Evening Gazette.

" The story is told simply and strongly, preserving the fire and force of the original, and not
losing the subtle charm of theold fable with all its pathetic beauty." Brooklyn Union-Argus.

" It is a good, strong story ; it comes in among the mass of juvenile books like a wind blown
from Northern woods." Philadelphia Sundav-School Times.

SCXINEJ?'S NEW LIST.

THE AMERICAN BOY'S HANDY BOOK;
Or, What to Do and How to Do It.

BY DANIEL C. BEARD.

Fully illustrated by the author. One volume, Svo $3.00

Mr. Beard's book is the first to tell the active, inventive and practical American
boy the things he really -wants to know ; the thousand things he wants to do, and the
ten thousand ways in which he can do them, with the helps and ingenious contri-
vances which every boy can either procure or m^ke. The author divides the book
among the sports of the four seasons ; and he has made an almost exhaustive col-
lection of the cleverest modern devices, besides himself imenting an immense
number of capital and practical ideas in

y [ Kite-Making,

Trapping,

Fishing,

Taxidermy,

Aquarium-Making,

Home-Made Hunting

Etc.

Apparatus, etc.

Boat-Building,

Ice-Boating,

Boat-Rigging,

Snow-Ball Warfare,

Boat-Sailing,

Winter-Fishing,

g Camping-Out,

Sled-Building,

Balloons,

Puppet-Shows,

Etc.

few bot ks more useful and instructive to the

rage boy than this."
lost intelligible, comprehensive and practical boy's book which we have

" We can conceive
Troy Times.

" This is by far the
ever seen." Kingston Freeman.

" When selecting books for a boy it should be remembered that such a one as this tends to
make him handy, skillful and self-reliant, and that the boy would p obab'y choose it himself ."-
Boston Globe.

"Each particular department is minutely illustrated, and the who'e is a complete treas.ry.
invaluable not only to the boys themselves, but to parents and guardians who have at heart their
happiness and healthful development of mind and muscle. "-Pittsburgh Telegraph.

" The boy who has learned to play all the games and make all the toys of which it teaches,
has unconsciously exercised the inventive faculty that if in him, has acquired skill with his hands,
and has become a good mechanic and an embryo inventor without knowing ft. -*//*!

SCRIB NEK'S NEW LIST.

WILLIAM O. STODDARD'S CAPITAL
STORIES FOR BOYS.

SALTILLO BOYS.

>Jne volume, I2mo $1.00

" No more wholesome and amusing book could be placed in the hands of a boy." The Ex-
aminer.

u The story appeals to boys, not only on their better side, but on the side which is strongest
and highest in the boy view of the matter." The Independent.

" Mr. Stoddard indulges now and then in that vein of fine humor which readers of Dab

equable temperate flow of ordinary incidents which he has the art to infuse with no ordinary
interest. No boy's book that we can remember is less sensational ; and yet few books will give
more pleasure to boys." Good Literature.

DAB KINZER.

A. Stoiry of &j G-iroAAring lEBoy.
One volume, I2mo $l.oo

" It is written in that peculiarly happy vein which enchants while it instructs, and is one of
those thoroughly excellent bits of juvenile literature which now and then crop out from the sur-
face of a mass of common-place." Philadelphia Press.

" In a literary point of view, we are inclined to rank this book among the first of its kind.
' * * A father who wants his boy to grow up in a manly way, may find in such books some-
thing to help him amazingly." Christian Intelligencer.

THE QUARTET.

to "iDetTo
Jne volume, I2mo fl.oo

" The Quartet is marked by all the brightness and incident which made 'Dab Kinzer' such
a favorite with the boys. * * * If any father would live over his boyhood days again, and
likewise put twoheilthy and breezy books into his children's hands, let him read these two vol-
umes and then hand them over to the boys of the family. * * * While free from all trace of
preaching, there is a bracing religious atmosphere about the books which will make them good
reading for the family in every sense." Examiner and Chronicle.

V DAB KINZER, THE QUARTET, SALTILLO BOYS, and
Mr. Stoddard's new volume, AMONG THE LAKES, are furnished
in sets, in uniform binding, in a box. Price, $4.00. They are especially
recommended for Sunday-school libraries.

BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG.

SIDNEY LANIER S EDITIONS OF THE
OLD LEGENDS.

EA CH VOLUME BEAUTIFULLY 1LLUSTRA TED.

THE BOY'S PERCY.

Edited with an Introduction by SIDNEY LANIER. With 50 text and full page

illustrations by E. B. Bensell. i vol., I2mo $2.50

. " He who walks in the way these following ballads point will be manful in necessary fight,
lair in trade, loyal in love, generous to the poor, tender in the household, prudent in living, plain
in speech, merry upon occasion, simple in behavior, and honest in all things." From Mr.
Lamer s Introduction.

THE BOY'S MABJNOGION.

Being the Earliest Welsh Tales of King Arthur in the famous Red Book of
Hergest. Edited for Boys, with an Introduction by SIDNEY LANIER. With
12 full-page illustrations by Alfred Fredericks. One volume, crown 8vo,
extra cloth $3.00

"Amid all the strange and fanciful scenery of these stories, character and the ideals of char-
acter remain at the simplest and purest. The romantic history transpires in the healthy atmos-
phere of the open air on the green earth beneath the open sky. . . . The figures of Right,
Truth, Justice, Honor, Purity, Courage, Reverence for Law, are always in the background ; and
the grand passion inspired by the book is for strength to do well and nobly in the world." Tkt
Independent.

THE BOY'S KING ARTHUR.

Being Sir Thomas Mallory's History of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round
Table. Edited for Boys, with an Introduction by SIDNEY LANIER. With 12
full-page illustrations by Alfred Kappes. One volume, crown 8vo, extra
cloth $3.00

" Unconsciously as he reads of the brave deeds wrought by the gallant soldiers told of by
Froissart or fancied by Mallory, the boy's heart is thrilled and his higher nature throbs with
knightly longings. He craves for himself the sturdy courage of Bevis of Hampton, the courtly
grace of Launcelot, the purity of Gallahad ; and he hates with an honest hatred that unlcal
scoundrel, King Mark. He learns that he should protect those who are less strong than he i
himself ; that a man should never be rude to a woman ; that truth must never be sacrificed, and
that the most cowardly thing that a man can do is to flinch from his duty." Philadelphia.

THE BOY'S FROISSART.

Being Sir John Froissart's Chronicles of Adventure, Battle and Custom in England,
France, Spain, etc. Edited for Boy.s, with an Introduction by SIDNEY
LANIER. With 12 full-page illustrations by Alfred Kappes. One volume,
crown 8vo, extra cloth $3-

" It is quite the beau ideal of a book for a present to an intelligent boy or girl. * * * Mr.
Sidney Lamer, in editing a boy's version of Froissart, has not onfy opened to them a world of
romantic and poetic legend of the chivalric and heroic sort, but he has gnen them something
which ennobles and does not poison the mind. .Old Froissait was a gentleman every inch ; he
hated the base, the cowardly, the paltry ; he loved the knightly, the heroic, the gentle, and this
spirit breathes through all his chronicles. There is a genuineness too, about his writings, thn
pives them a literary value. * * * It is like t-avel into foreign timts as well as into foreign
lands, and getting a glimpse of the era of Faith. Simplicity and Sincerity. It thus has a peculiar
freshness that suggests an immortality like Komtr."- Baltimore Gazette.

BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG.

THE MERRY ADVENTURES OF ROBIN
HOOD.

OF GREAT RENOWN IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.

WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY HOWARD PYLE.
One volume, 4to, full embossed leather, antique, from the author's designs. .$4.50

In this book, perhaps the most original and el iborate ever produced by an
American artist, Mr. Pyle has told with pencil and pen the complete and consecu-
tive story of Robin Hood and his merry m^n in their haunts in Sherwood forest,
gathered from the old ballads and legends. These delightful romances, which
have made the bold ranger the ideal of the outlaw class at a time when that class
included not only fugitives from justice but al o refugees from oppression and
misrule, hive furnished for many generations a source of inexhaustible entertain-
ment to old and young.

There is something thoroughly English and Inme-bred in these episodes in the
life of the bold outlaw. His sunny, open air nature, his matchless skill at archery,
his generous disposition, his love of fair play, and his ever present courtesy to
women, form a picture that has no counterpart in the folk-lore of any oth< r people.
The simple ballad English has been most successfully preserved in Mr. Pyle's
easy prose, and, as regards the text, this editi in io in all respects the most complete
and in every way the most desirab'e that has ever been issued. But it has other
claims to notice in the admirable illustrations which Mr. Pyle has strewn profusely
throughout his book. These pictures set forth most graphically every eventful
scene in the narrative, and they are in perfect keeping with the story, even to the
smallest detail ; as specimens of figure-drawing they form the most admirable and
ar istic series that an American artist has created for many years. In them the
persons of Robin Hood, Little John, Will Stutely, the Sheriff of Nottingham,
Allan-a-Dale, Queen Eleanor, Friar Tuck, and all the rest, become as familiar as
their names and characteristics.

Thi binding and general make-up of the book deserve more than a passing men-
tion. Every detail has been carefully wrought out by the author, and the exterior
of the volume is in perfect keeping with its contents. The elaborate chapter-
headings and tail-pieces are especially noteworthy specimens of this form of
I'ecor.itioi.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY

Los Angeles
This book is DUE on the last date stamped below.

MAY 181938

L 006 377 101 8