The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-12-08

|
sec everything floating in blood. Will,
when he saw what was coming, had rub
bed bis hand quickly over his slate, say
ing, ~ could not do them, SIR" He
always was n sneak, was VIII but if
of from such a whipping would like to
After schoo! was out rather hung back
his way to Mr.. Tompkins. Then | said,
getting ectlc too big for your brecche.,
and will Try my hand trimming YOU
down to them before another sun SETS
just you see if | don't"
"What are you going TO do, Tom ~
said viii; pull his nose?'
"Ill smash your teeth in, if you don't
shut that cat G.h mouth Of yours" replied
|, withcrng Will with threatening
look.
Most Of the boys were up in arm. on
my account, and all, even Will, were
| glad of an occasion for an outbreak
So after much indignant talking, we
decided on an open rebellion
Hanging is too good for him." said
Jack Smith.
We had long consultation and plan
ming, and Il, last settled on whipping az
not at all too good for him, rs we had
founI, we thought, by experience, that
it vas the ~ orst thing that could happen
to anybody.
I'VE will pay him back in his own
coin" said Jack.
"Scc how he likes it himself said
Will.
The manner Of the attack was to be
as follows Each boy was TO arm himself
with good hickory switch, and wa, to
mount up into the loft in the school
room from which position, through some
parted planks, | could see our victim on
| his stepping in at the door. At this
moment was 10 spring down upon his
back, and his falling PROSTATE, Knocked
down by this, was to bc the signal for all
tue other boys TO sally forth from the
wood closet and fall to work with the
hickorics. 1t was getting late when we
| dispersed to our homes delighted with
our plan, and promising to be in place
early on the following morning. We
were true to our word, but some how
there was so much talking and so many
preparations, that just rs | was prepar
ing 10 ascend 10 my position there was Il
cry of "Mr. Black :" and there was
barely time for us TO hide the hickory
switches in the wood closet, and scurry
to our seats before our King Stork was in
the doorway. But his fate was only
postponed wc thought, and we went
through Our morning lessons in state Of
feverish impatience, longing for the hour
for recess to arrive. All was ready, and
when wc were dimissed we hurried
through our lunches, after watching
Mr.. Black out Of sight and then were SO
eager to begin the fray that We rushed
in and assumed our respective places.
Mounting on the shoulders of two Of the
larger boys, | clambered into the loft
and leaving the planks sufficiently apart
to give mc room for my rapid descent,
stood waiting like u jaguar for my prey.
When you have jumped down on him,
Tom" said Jack Smith, you must reach
round and scratch his face a. hard rs
you cam"
THAT will be the time for you to pull
his nose" said Will, "and then we'll be
out and whip him instead of his whip
ping you" .
"Never mind abou, me, boys; just all
of you be ready to jump out of the closet
when you hear him fall, and I'll see if
we cant show him somebody can whip
besides him"
Accordingly all hurried into the closet.
with many solemn promises mutually
exchanged that every man would do his
duty. No words can express the feverish
excitement Of the next twenty minutes
1t seemed as many years. Many were
tho whispered alarms, frequent the shak-
ings of our knees, and often did we taste
our hearts in our mouths. He came at
last his foot was on the door stcp-in
the room. All was still rs death. He
locked around not boy WAS to be seen
1t seemed to me that his eyes passed
over his nose and exchanged places
such n frown never saw before. Now
wns the fatal moment; made dcspc-
rate leap, springing on his back, so a. to
a!asge- him, locking my hTn,s uru III
his neck and calling out, Come on,
boysp
There was not SOUND rom the closet !;
and Mr.. Black, recovering his balance,
reached around and picked me of his
back, saying: con! so it is you, is it2
Well, III finish with you first, and then
the rest may come
He did finish with me. Indeed,
thought was finished with forever, in
comparison with this whipping the one
OF the day before was as zephyr breeze
compared TO hurricane. | don't know
how long it lasted, nor how many hours
or ages elapsed between the time jump
ed from the miserable loft and the open
ing of The closet door. wns not in u
condition of mind or body to take accu
rate account Of time. But when it was
| opened don't think ever saw such a
set OF faces. What in the world had be-.
come of al; those hickories? can not
imagine unless each boy had eaten one.
OF course the boys, entirely unarmed,
shut up in the closet, could have meant
no harm; probably they had gotten there
to keep from being jumped on. At
least, that is the only reason that could
be guessed as MIR. Black opened the
door and they came stepping out, with
countenances in which idiocy and amia
nance. They did not explain, but Mr..
courage them in mysterious and unac.
and all, with perfectly impartial
hand.
This whipping had various effects. 1t
gave the whole school a veneration for
Mr. Black, and although he was not the
man we approved of for teacher exactly,
We determined TO try to get along with him
for the remaining two weeks of the ses-
sion without any more encounters.
The recitations were much better than
they had ever been. 1t also cured me
of my love for Miss Wilhelmina Tomp.
kins-I rather dislikcd her. Besides,
seemed to feel after that that | was too
young to think seriously OF marriage.
| At the end of the session when she mar.
ried Mr.. Black, and when he took her
back with him to his homo in Pennsyl
vania, considered the community we'll