The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-05-17

pats.
 In Toker's active days. his restless ubiquiiy, the cunning of his eye. ard the keenness oi his nose, prevailed to keep a l check cn our appetite for iawless adYen ] ture ot al kincs: but as he grcw old he was less on the alert, and the days be- came ilyeAer for us.
 hey were the days c. the great bolster matches, when one-,hird of the school. composed cf the big fellows. wen, out l against the remaining two-thirds. and the corndors echoed the noises of the fray. on nesd-nlg his. when the whole school was engaget, Pike and the May queen. whose coars opened on tke main eorri- dor, were !eeked in their rooms. and flags were posted on every landing to give wafnins q IofeF.s approach. |, was ger erAiiY when the iis ht was at it's hottest that i;cwpra .aS passed along ihe line cf sc6ess. Gave. Toz@r :. and then II wzs i every cae for himself and the aeyll. or Icz--. take ;he hinGmost
 Iozers $ unS irving formula on surh oc- oaslons. dsiivefed n 2 quiei tone d, he Came ID the stairs two at | time. was Il make It pretty hot for any boy caien oc. of bed and this was 4 m alter i n which he was always as good as, if rot at;;es than his word.
 4. 4Hc time | was the custom. on :b . announcement oi Tozers approach h, to place Jus or ! tun5!er hlled |. :h water on the door of No. I dormitary. where i, occupied | position of advantage with respect both to the force of gravity and 10 the head of Tozer: bu, the old man was aot 10 be caught many times in that way, and thiS mode o. surprising his. los, i,s rest.
 Bas the period of Tozer's declining vigilance was associated with enterprises more ambitious than bolster matches of the whole school. These were excursions ai;er dark into the .o&n where, by con- cert with Black Billy. landlord of the " Potato and Welcome tavern, we or sanized many quie, supper party. Billy was patron of sport, and while he drank spirits a, our expense. he would harangue us OF the decay of the pugil- isuc and other pastimes of his youth He had all Toddy's enthusiasm for hgh;, and was delighted when he could arrange little meetin'" IT his own ba k parior.
 One evening-it was. think, G:nger's birthday. and he was treating three or four of Us to a suIrep,i;ious supper .; Bll.y's-Billy whispered us that "a neat A.,lc bi1aess was a-comin' of = between i've real game ,uns, for ten pounds a side. at the Marshes. On the following evening, and intilnated that f we Fixed 10 50 he would keep a fathers eye on us while we remained.
 This was quite enough for is. and a. a quarter to I2 the next nigh, Ginger. Toddy. Wilson prmes, and myself, scaled the high gates q, the bo,,c.n of the playgr. .und, crossed the cricke, cid. and got into the high road which led 10 the Marshes. d.s,an, ahoa; three parts of mile. The meeting" was arranged for : midnight. and it wanted a minute or two Of that hour when he reached the ground, and were taken in, charge by Billy.
 The ring was lighted by torches, and the combatants were stripping. Billy had procured as | capital place. ard shen the fight began we followed the general example, and lad our money freely.
 We were see,ng life IT IT this conl- mendatle fashion. and Ginger was shout ing with delight a, al every good hi,, when Wilson, who stood beside me. pla1..ed my sleeve and pointed q ;rerl- S.ing finger a, the other side of the ring. whispered, look ,heIc.'
 looked and saw the white .nwhole- some face and ferret's eye Of Pike.
 Ne tucked our heads, sut he had caugh; sigas of Wilson's cap-i, was ihe little rosnd cap with the red button which NC wore on crii days and without a moment hesitation he gave chase.
 Luckily for Us. we were on the siae oi ,he rirs neases. to IAe school. Ginger, as 3 free and indeperden, agent, nigh, of course have stayed had he chosen, bc; he said:
 T ren.ain no. ne. Togezer iet us run, mes eniaa;s. Courage. Ze Pike, IS he not gFosse: Alloas ,cli you we VIII him easy. Bah
 Away we went then. over the-E marsh, and on the high road, keeping Nell to- gesher, and holding cur wind for the final pull up the cficke, held. We had a few yards start: but Pike. in spite of his bulk, had good staying powers. and we could hear him holding the course doggedly at about fifty yards in the rear.
 Toddy had a bull's-eye lantern, but , we dared not show the light: and as il was pitch dark, the road was not without