United States or Portugal ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
'We'll go down there an' explore them workin's, said Dick, having lit a piece of dry root and composed himself for a smoke. 'In the daytime, Morgan, said Jacker hastily and with diffidence. 'All right; but it don't make no difference down here, you know.
They were accompanied by a pedestrian, an interloper, who lurked behind and evidently did not anticipate a friendly reception. It was Gable. 'He saw us comin' an' he would foller, explained Jacker. 'Yah! cried Dick in disgust; 'why didn't you boot him? 'So I did. Fat lot o' good that done.
'Won't! Gimme it! All caution had been forgotten by this time, voices were shrill, and eyes spoke of battle. Dick made at Jacker with a threatening fist, and Jacker, with an adroitness for which he was famous, met him with a clip on the shin from a copper-toed boot. Then the lads grappled and commenced a vigorous and enthusiastic battle in the dirt and amongst the cobweb curtains.
Jacker put the growth aside carefully, and going feet first gradually disappeared. Within there in the formless darkness he stood upon a ladder made of the long stem of a sapling to which cleats were nailed. The sapling was suspended in a black abyss. The boy, with his bundle hanging from his shoulder, started down fearlessly.
He rushed the woman from a commanding position, with force and judgment, and a second later Jacker, woman, and goat were rolling and struggling in the dust. Red Hand and the faithful Ted dragged Jacker from the hands of the enemy, and the gang fled to a safe distance, and watched the shadowy form of the woman as she gathered herself up and shook the dust out of her dress.
Had they remained they would have been caned; as they have run away, they will receive a double dose and certain extra pains and penalties, and meanwhile they suffer the poignant pangs of anticipation. Anticipation, Jacker, my boy, the smart of future punishments, is the true hell-flame.
Jacker, for pride and the credit of his boyhood made no sound under the first dozen cuts; but his younger brother Ted, from his place in the Lower Fifth, set up a lugubrious wail of sympathy almost immediately, and, as his feelings were more and more wrought upon by the painful sight, his wailing developed into shrill and tearful abuse of the master.
'Mind who you're hittin'! You'll suffer for this, Hamlet, you'll see! We'll get some one what'll show you! Rocks for you nex' Saterdee! Ted howled, Jacker howled, but the master caned on until he thought he had quite accomplished his duty in that particular; then he let the limp youth slide back into his seat. Mr. Ham returned to his high stool to rest and recuperate.
Now that oath was quite the most solemn and impressive thing of the kind that Dick Haddon and Phil Doon had been able to discover after consulting the highest literary authorities. The quarrel between Dick and Jacker McKnight that originated under the school was quite forgotten in the resulting excitement.
'An' you'll shell out wif the strawb'ries? Dick nodded again; Jacker went peacefully to his work and Peterson crawled back to his seat. Confidence was restored. HARRY HARDY'S first few shifts below only served to convince him of the difficulties of the task he had set himself.
Word Of The Day