The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-05-01
How Bob was Caught.

right side up and remained at school with all his orig
na exuberance of spirits untrammeled by rules and
above the restrictions Of the faculty Bob used to
swer with sly laugh and wink, when wonderingly
asked how he managed always to get of scrape
smoothly as he always did, and merely said it was all
owing to his genius in that line but rather imagined
was more than traceable to his oily tongue for though
Bob was-oh! of course-an example of truth in the
school, remember to have heard him say that he be-
eved in always telling the truth the whole truth ETC.
eXceptha is 'never lie except when is necessary
Bob had that passion peculiar to cold boys of re-
hearsing the numerous exploits of himself "when the
doctor was off to Europe, etc, and time he
so valube on the first few evenings Of new sessions
when the newly arrived green uns' and the returned
scholars were assembled beneath the elms on the green
in the May mornings or IN the sittingroom
--ah. what aroom of rooms was that!-by the blazing
fire in the November nights Imagine see him now
though years have passed since then and Bob as
know, is gone to his long home-as he to sit
and decaim to the listening audience of wondering and
awe-struc newies and the less affected 'od uns y"
Bob good chap, though he wild (and who will
deny that the wild ones generally are?) and in
school was liked as well he, as all who did the
'tEneid" there in 1856 viii we'll remember.
review in memory now the many scenes in which
he took prominent part and fle various acts which
served above his faults to eef him to the school and
"Profs" from the time he fshed poor drowned Willie
Homer out of the muddy canal up to the time when he
saved my head from punches from the sledge
hammer fist of a brawny Free Scheoler" How well
is the night and circumstance pictuled in my minds
eye, which in his own language | give below, as he
related it under the old elm the ball ground one night
the second of new term:
never was really and actually caught but once how
ever by the doctor and even then under rather pecu
liar circumstances" he began, .having just concluded
former yarn you recolect it. Jim?" to me)
Eyes, indeed" responded |; for knew to what he
alluded.
How was it," Lets have it?n Tel us about it,
in e FEEL
audience was that of one expecting treat in the
narration. covering ball, and reclining the
grass near new boy arrived the day before
and to whom had taken a fancy.
Look out for somethn' jolly, now, Green said tc
him. in low voice; he smiled quetly-it was his way
had found-and Bob began:
''You see it in the winter session three-no! le
me see-two years ago. Wehad taru' set of fellow!
that winter and kept the doctor and old Grihs pretty
much all the time in the hottest kind Of hot water
There were lot of southern chaps here and you know
they're alwaysregular devi-may y-care bOys-making O.
course an honorable exception of myself Bob haeC
from Louisville and didn't raise the dust in schoo
and out occasionally, then I'll eat my hat. There wa
Charley D'Iannan, from hobile-yOH remember him
Jim, Il the next oldest scholar in the crowd anC
Bob naturally appealed my authority ia reg'lar hgl
one he was-ired off his revolver in the dormtory on
night about the 'witchng hours and brought down ht
house-Ekewse heap of ceiling plaster, and theI
swore the doctor that somebody had scared him al
most to DEATH BY JOve. how he would carry on. Ant
then there was Hal Browbridge Gus Town Billy Moon
and Holbrook-all of them of the first water of the 'g
it while you're young genius and your respectful
obedent servant myself who hung around them times
for anything that offered aud jim there wasn't back
ward at any time?
''Wen, one night havin' a rousing time il
the attic about ten or after You HObrook regis
tered fearful vow Jim's big dictionary that h
would have sport out of Banena, the Cuban chap tina
slept in the end room where Wicoxen does now ant
duly armed with pillow made decent upon the afore
said foreign individual followed by half the boys il
night armor as that small fellow George Burney hat
it, In fact half of them were just come from their beds
if greater portion. The natural result was, tha
then and there commenced one of those pillow fight
that this institution is celebrated for By George.
0 was fun Bob Law placed Of the stairs sentinel
and every warning against every one managed t
raise considerable noise Banena suddenly and uncere
= moniouslv reused from his sound slumber, rushe
= around with pillow in each paw, with innumerabl
3 and immense 'Carajos and 'Diablos.' George Tow
0 sent mug flying at him. which he lodged with
0 'Madre d Dios no doubt thinking that such sobe
exigency required stronger OATH the thing crushe
in thousand pieces against the wall and ratified OF
the floor This very considerable addition to the al
ready deatening din was almost immediate yaugmente
by internal noise Of some kind another from tn
Immediate vicinity of Billy Moon As is generally til
case YOU know, after big noise, there is instant
silence or at least momentary lull in the storm
pillows boots, slippers, etc, and in that minutes spac
creakiug step was heard on the stair, and Banena
who stood near the landing rushed to his ROOM gyin
Q utterance to an 'El Eeijo' in vehement whisper
+ | saw how it was Bob Law had left his post in a mo
ment of carelessness-I never saw the fellow yet VIII
could watch decent when there was fun going on-an(
the doctor already almost on the top step and m
room on the other side for the stairs up into
side of the hall the centre. There help 70
it so made dash. The doctor me indistincty a
glimmered by in the dark, and made a grab at me
and by George! blow if he didn't catch me right b
that part of the shirt known the hind flap! Demor
! stration among audience)
f II always did hate those long nght-gowns my 81
made for me and now imagined it was going to brin
me to grief but struggled pretty hard for seconC
and rip-pp went the dry goods the whole flap tearin
off let me into my room my nose leaving the 'ren
nant' in the doctors hand You may imagine l mad
into that bed, an did do just that very thing
though if had half my wits about me would have &C
another shirt on for the entire -abouSxl inchc
of Canton flannel was minus; but had no idea whs
Twas going to come, and one generally has difficult
in collecting his ideas under such circumstances
Pretty soon Il had shut my door, perceived that th
the gas had been lighted, and moment after monitC
Smith opened my door The doctor orders all the boy
in the hall this very minute saidh he. Yesna moment
replied; and jumping up, drew my pants in iify
Missing the usual tucking in behind however vamoose
out and there all the boys in the attic marshae
in one end of the hail. the gas lit and the doctor stanc
ing there in pants slippers and shrtsleeves, hodln
the identical rag in his hand and looking awfully grin
shuddered when perceived was the only one wit
pants on, but took position Immediately among tn
boys who scood together sober you please, excep
ing the Cuban, who muttered occasional sleepin
caIao vego and laughed to himself in the interim br
the doctor Just then spoke.
"Young gentlemen, do not wish to have any III
necessary words with you. wish each one of you t
march by himself down the hall, here, in 'front.' an
passing me, return quietly to your rooms if l do nc
stop you. The person whom desire 70 speak wit
will understand this arrangement and it is unimportar
the others should Jones, you may take the lead
Il did understand him, and shook in my boots
or would have done so had had any on-Ike dog
snow-storm when he gave his orders though conl
hardly repress an involuntary smile at the rdiculou
figure | would cut and had the boys known the wa
it was l would not have answered for their gravity
but, as it was, none knew anything about it.
'It was sometime before my turn came to travel, q
the doctor always took his time about these little thing
and YOU will see didn't feel the best ever did in h
meantime would have given year of my life coul
: I have dropped through the floor, even change
r shirts with some one though ibid repose very litt
j hope in my pantaloons Finally the next came.
'sRobert Halden! you will follow!'
! "And did follow Holbrook, who just marched a
straight as soldier saw puzzled expression on th
doctors face as l approached. He evidently had NJ
seen that had pants before, and he glanced at the