The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-07-13

believe it, he kicked the poor boy in the
side as he fell to the ground!
Take that, Mr.. Impudence," he
said. Chow dare you dictate to a gen
tleman, you miserable beggar? You'll
get your clothes in hurry, boys! You'll
have to come for 'em, and the acade-
my grounds are crowded with ladies
and gentlemen to-day" Then he ran
away with everything but our shoes.
You better believe we were in a fix.
Bill couldn't help us, for his crutch was
gone, and he sat there groaning. He
said his side hurt him where he was
kicked, and we knew it must, for those
big beastly feet were like'horse's hoofs
We were sorry for Bill and for our
selves, too. We crawled up on log
that was in the creek, to be handy to
take to water, you know, if people came
to cross the ford, and there we sat, an
CRY and blue enough.
But in about half an hour we heard a
whistle on the other side of the ford,
Arthur We knew his whistle, and
that he had gone to Stanville that morn
ing to get his letters.
When he came up he stopped and
called out: "What on earth are you
little monkeys summing yourselves on q
log for, like so many terrapins? Times
nearly up. 1t wants ten minutes to
ten, and then the Philistines will be
down upon you! Quick! Vamosen'
eve can'tn' we cried. ''Louis
Granger stole our clothes and left us
here with nothing but our shoes"
King Arthur looked at us, and l sup
pose we did look funny perched on the
log, and some of us crying. Anyhow,
he laughed till he couldn't stand, then
wiped his eyes and got up, and all of
sudden he saw Bill sitting under the
bank.
"Why, Bill" he said, "why didn't
you help these poor little chaps, and
90 after their clothesp''
Then we told him how Louis Gran
ger had thrown Bills crutch in the
creek, and it foated off, and how he
kicked him in the size, and we reck-
oned he was half-killed.
There was no laugh in King Arthur
then; but we saw his eyes begin to
blaze. He went up to Bill and exam
med him carefully; but we couldn't
hear what he said, he spoke so low. He
then turned and went up the hill with
such long strides that we said it was
like the seven-leagued boots. We knew
help was coming when he went after it,
so we waded ashore and waited.
We didn't wait very long till we saw
him coming back, holding on to some
one who was Just buried in clothes, they
were so piled up in his arms. We
didn't know who it was till he pitched
'em down among us, and we saw Louis
Changers ugly, wicked face. 1t was
uglier than ever, for there was bruise
on his forehead, and his big mouth was
swollen up like a sausage.
He was turning to 90 away, never
saying a word, when King Arthur
seized him again, and led him up to
Bill.
"Make some atonement to this poor
boy, whom you have hurt and insulted.
Apologize! Do something-Gke a gen
tlemen, if you canr'
Granger, looking blacker than ever,
took fifty cents out of his pocket, and
held it toward Bill. King Arthur
struck up his hand and the money flew
into the creek,
"He doesn't want your money" he
cried, "and he doesn't want an apollo
gy, now, from dastardly sneak, who
thinks few cents will pay for every
thingr
l tell you, he looked grand! Just like
the picture of St. George and the drag
on in the church. We were proud of
him, | can tell you, for we knew he had
punished Granger, and brought him
down with the clothes.
But l must tell you the last thing
King Arthur did at school Every mean
thing Granger could do against him, he
did after that. But Arthur didn't mind
him any more than if he had been a
barking cur. You see, he never pitched
into fellow unless it was to help some
body else. He knew he stood first with
the Principal and all the faculty, and
no one could harm him with them. So
he didn't care whether Granger hated
him or not.
Well, one winter night, the main
academy building took fire, close to
where we all slept. 1t was about two
o'clock in the morning, and there
was high wind blowing. 1t was an
awful time, and it's more than can
tell how they managed to get us all out.
They never would have done it if it
hadn't been for King Arthur. He was
so cool, and seemed to know just what
ought to be done. The fire-engines
couldn't come from the town in time to
do any good, so everybody gave the
building up.
eat least, no lives will be lost" said
the Principal. "Thank Heaven, all
the boys are safer'
81 don't see Granger among them,"
said one of the professors.
When we came to find out, Granger
wasn't there, sure enough.
All at once we heard an awful
screech, and there was Granger at the
study window, in the third story, with
the fire just tearing away behind him,
and everywhere around him a perfect
sea of flame. He had jumped on the
window-sill and was screaming for
help. But who could help himP
"Steady, Grangerr' we heard King
Arthur cry out. Don't jump, or you'll
be killed. I'm coming to you"
Just then the engines and ladders
came up. don't know who helped to