Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-02-09
The Haunted Bed.


The boys in number six vowed they
would no longer bear the insolence of
number eight. These were the larges.
sleeping rooms in the school-house where
boarded in the days when my face was
not bronzed by travel, when my legs
were considerably shorter, and my lux
uriant beard as yet an invisible dream.
was thirteen, and the oldest boy in the
room except Slokins, who was sixteen,
though you would never have thought
it to look at him, for he was the shortest
boy in our class, and :he stupidest.-
However, he was very good fellow and
ready enough for anything but fighting.
Our room was OH the Top floor Of the
house, SO we resolved to have grand>
bolstering campaign, and as prellmin-
ary measure proposed that somebody
should creep on all fours into No. s, and
pull Clinton seniors toe, then utter a
war-whoop, and we would all rush in,
pell mel, and give No. s fts-in word
come down Oh them like bricks.
but who is to do the creeping"
said Bozer, who was so clumsy that he
could never catch cricket ball in his
life, and was the poorest shot at marbles
| | ever saw.
"Not you," said Stockleson junior, a
small, red haired boy, who, like terrier
would fight anything, however big. and
never leave Off under any circumstances.
Not you, Boxer, you always stumble or
knock something over
"Who then 7" said Twigsy, the boy
who was so delicate that he was ordered
glass of portwlpe every day to keep up
his stamnlina and who WAS always kiss.
ing little Lucy. the masters daughter, IN
tic shrubbery, and vino used to buy bran
dy and bring it up into the bed room at
night, in a soda water bottle, and gave it
us to drink out of the shell of cocoa
nut.
"Why, Slokins, of course, because he's
the oldest" shouted Tom Crisp.
"Yes, Slokins forever reried the whole
room III chorus.
But Slokirs would not 60, so I, as
leader Of the expedition, finally volun.
teered To undertake the hazardous enter
prise, aud off we started, marching noIs,
Iessly il Indian file, holding our night
shirts tightly, round us to prevent them
from rastiing, and each with his bolster
over his shoulder, prepared for the direst
extreInities.
/ halted within yard of the open
door Of No. s, and crawling like a last
of the Mohicans," Or the celebrated ser
pent who tempted Eve, on my belly,
contrived to reach the foot OF Clinton
seniors bed, insert my nexter hand un-
der the bedelothes, aud give his toe a
jerk which reused him like galvanic
shock from the embrace of an ineipieDt
slumber-
"A-e-o-n-y!" squealed Clinton, who
is thats' aud he sprang out of the bed,
but only to be knocked down, instanter,
by Twigsy's bolster.
Immediately an immense slaughter
took place. AT the foot Of every bed in
No. 8 was hero of No. 6, whackine
away like steam engine at the pros
, tra,e form of his victim 1t WAS Il decid>
ed case OF surprise, and some minutes
| elapsed before the enemy rallied. Nc
sooner, however, did they recover the
FIRST shock of our insidious attack, than
, out they tumbled, and fought with The
wilder evaporation from their prelim
mary drubbiing. ....
Siokins, | am sorry to say, beat an in
glorious retreat, and shortly afterwards
Clinton put the main body of our arm.
, to fight, by meanly cutting at their Leg
l with his suspenders-but in the corridor
and on neutral ground, the fight YET
ragged with Homeric fury, and was at the
point of excitement, when sudden flash
| Of light from the we'll known staircase
warned us Of the approach of third ano
yet more powerful force. 1t was IN fac
the master, who was already on the las
turn of the stairs, and would inevitably
be upon us before we cold return to ou
i, dormitories. " .N a@ .#
/ having beer the last to retreat from
Q the camp Of the hostile forces, was nov
3 behind all the rest of my party, who hat
mutely taken to their Leeis, and fec
: madly up the passage towards No. g.
? Seeing: therefore, that escape was i'm
possible, ! resolved, like a second Hora
titus, to "defend the Staircase" and com
: menced by launching my bolster owe
the banisters. Falling plump on th'
head Of the ascending master, and extin
: gushing his light, it was perfectly sue