The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-07-09

You remember E,op's fable of the wolf
and the lamb, and what pains the wolf
took to pick quarrel with the lame. 1t
was little hard for Pewee to fight with
boy who walked quietly to and from the
school, without giving anybody cause for
offense.
But the chief reason why Pewee did not
attack him with his fists was that both he
and Riley had found out that Jack Dudley
could help them over hard place in their
lessons better than anybody else. And, not
withstsnding their continual prosecutions
of Jack, they we're mean enough to ask his
assistance, and he, hoping to bring about
peace by good-nature, helped them to get
out their geography aud arithmetic almost
every day. Unable to appreciate this,
they were both convinced that Jack only
did it because he was afraid of them, and
as they found it rare sport to abuse him,
they kept it up. By their influence Jack
was shut out of the plays. A greenhorn
would spoil the game, they said. What
did boy that lived on Wildcat Creek, in
the Indian Reserve, know about playing
bull.pen, or prisoners base, or shinnyP
If he was brought in they would go out.
But the girls, and small boys, and good
hearted Bob Holiday liked Jacks COM
pany very much. Yet Jack was boy,
and he often longed to play games with
the others. He felt very sure that he
could dodge and run in "bull-pen as
we'll as any of them. He was very tired
of Riley's continual ridicule, which grew
worse as Riley saw in him a rival in infu-
ence with the smaller boys.
"Catch Will alone sometime said
Bob Holiday, "when Pewee isn't with
him, and then thrash him. He'll back
right down if you bristle up to him. If
Pewee makes a fuss about it, I'll look
after Pewee. I'm bigger than he is, and
he won't fight with me. What do you
say?"
81 shan't fight unless l have to-"
"Afraid ?" asked Bob, laughing.
at isn't that. don't think Pm much
afraid. although don't like to be pounded
or to pound anybody. l think I'd rather
be whipped than to be made fun of,
though. But my father used to say that
people who fight generally do so because
they are afraid Of somebody else, more
than they are of the one they fight with"
az believe that's fact,' said Bob.
d" But Riley aches for good thrashing."
81 know that, and feel like giving
him one, or taking one myself, and think
1 shall fight him before I've done. But
father used to say that fists could never
settle between right and wrong. They
only show which is the stronger, and it is
generally the mean one that gets the best
of it."
"That's as sure as shootin'," said Bob.
Pewee could use you up. Pewee thinks
he's the king, but laws he's only Riley's
bulldog. Riley is afraid of him, but he
manages to keep the dog on his side all
the time"
"My father used to say" said Jack,
"that brutes could fight with force, but
men ought to use their wits"
"You seem to think good deal of
what your father says-like it was your
Bible, you know"
any fathers dead" replied Jack.
"Oh, that's why. Boys don't always
pay attention to what their father says
when he's alive"
"Oh, but then my father was" Here
Jack checked himself, for fear of seeming
to boast. "You see," he went on, L" my
father knew great deal. He was 30
busy with his books that he lost most all
his money, and then we moved to the In
dian Reserve, and there he took the fever
and died; and then we came down here,
where we owned house, so that l could
60 to school,"
Why don't you give Will Riley as
good as he sends ?" said Bob, wishing to
get away from melancholy subjects. " You
have got as good tongue as his"
Af haI
though"
You've got potter of fun in you,
though-you keep everybody laughing
when you want to, and if you'd only turn
the pumps on him once he'd howl like a
yellow dog that's had quart O. hot suds
poured over him out of neighbours win
dow. Use your wits, like your father
said. You've lived in the woods till
you're as shy as flying squirrel. All
you've got to do is talk up and take
it rough and tumble, like the rest of the
world. Riley can't bear to be laughed at,
and you can make him ridiculous as easy
as not"
The next day, at noon recess, about the
time that Jack had finished helping Bob
Holiday to find some places on the map,
there came up a little shower, and the
boys took refuge in the school-house.
They must have some amusement, 30
Riley began his old abuse.
"Well, greenhorn from the Wildcat,
where's the black sheep you stole that suit
of clothes from 2"
81 hear him bleat now," said Jack
"about the blacklist sheep have ever
SEEM"
|
"You've heard the truth for once, Ri.
ley," said Bob Holiday.
Riley, who was as vain as peacock,
was very much mortified by the shout of
applause with which the little retort OF
Jacks was greeted. 1t was not case in
which he could call in King Pewee. The
king for his part, shut up his fists and
looked silly, while Jack took courage to
keep up the battle.
But Riley tried again.
81 say, Wildcat, you think you're
smart, but you're double-distilled idiot
and haven't got brains enough to be SEN
sible of your misery"
This kind of outburst on Riley's part
always brought laugh from the school
But, before the laugh had died down, JACK
Dudley took the word, saying, in a dry
and quizzical way:
"Don't you try to claim kin with me
that way, Riley. No use; l won't stand
it. l don't belong to your family. I'm
| nathan q fool nor a Onward -