Griggs courier., 1889-12-13

mouth; but the next moment tho hard
lines appeared again, an angry flash
came into her eyes, and she brought one
hard hand down upon the other as she
said: ''Wel, if don't surprise them my
name amt Pike!"
The insurgents had followed their
usual course when barring a teacher out.
Only the older boys, six in number, were
to know any thing about the affair.
They had planned it all the Saturday
before while out hunting rabbits to-
gether in Mr.. Peters wood pasture.
Bonnie had been sent to the pasture
that very day to look for stray COW.
He had seen the boys coming, and had
hidden until they should have passed,
for he was afraid of them. They had
sat down, and perfected their plans
within fifteen feet of his wide-open
ears. Then they had gone on their way,
and he had gone on his with heavy
burden on his mind.
Miss Betsey usually reached the school.
house a: about half-past eight o'clock.
Fred Hooper, the boy who built the
fires that winter, had joined the insur-
gents, and as he had the key of the
house they had no trouble in entering it
when they met at the door at eight
o'clock.
Once inside they locked and barred
the door, closed the great window shut
ters at the windows, built roaring
fire, and gave full vent to their JOY at
having ''come up" with Miss Pike. Re-
fusing entrance to all, they waited the
arrival of Miss Betsey in fever of ex-
citement.
"We'll show the old lady who's run
ming this school," said Tom Lee, glee-
fully.
'Won't it be fun to hear her rave out
side?" cried Hadley Bunker.
''Now don't weaken bit when she
comes," said Fred Hooper. eve just
want to give her to understand that
there's been new leaf turned over an
we intend to manage this school,"
''That's so, Fred" acquiesced Jed
Bunker; it's time she was learning that
we're not afraid of her.
The other pupils now began to arrive
and to clamor for admission, which was
jeeringly refused them, and the arrival
Of Miss Betsey was momentarily ex-
pected. Tom Lee was drawing hid
eous caricature of her on the blackboard
by the light Of a candle held in one
hand, for the closed solid wooden shut
ters at the four small windows made the
room as dark as night. A closet where
the teacher hung up her wraps, and
where the broom, the chalk and other
school articles were kept, was in one
corner of the room.
"Let's see what she keeps in here"
cried Jed Bunker. "Wouldn't be sur
prised if-o-o-o-h!''
He gave wild roar of amazement and
pain as he fell fiat on the floor, and Miss
Betsey strobe out over him and said, in
a stern voice:
''I'm going to whip every boy in this
room. We will see who's running this
school!'
She rushed to window, threw open
the shutters to give her light, and then,
armed with long and keen rawhide,
she made dreadful onslaught on the
amazed boys. Cowards at heart, their
feeble courage vanished at the sight of
the downfall of their leader, Jed Bum
ker, and they fled wildly before the pur-
suing Miss Betsey.
Fred Hooper, who had cautioned the
others not to "weaken." flew to corner,
crying out: so, Miss Pike! I-I-please,
, Miss Pike, let me-oh!" for she had
taken him by the collar and was using
the cowhide Justify upon his back while
he struggled to free himself.
Those who were outside listened with
| 10 II, kl,o
din inside. Several climbed up to the
J window and peeped in, with dumb as
tonishment-all but little Billy Ketch-
um. He ran about holding his sides, his
, red face distorted with grinning Joy.
She's in there!' he proclaimed to those
| awaiting him, s'Miss Pixies in there, an
if they amt gittin' it! Hear 'em! They're
, tearin' round like mad an her after
'em!'
| Fred Hooper had tried to unlock the
| door and escape, but Miss Betsey had
, caught the key from his hand and
7 dropped it into her pocket. When she
, finally unlocked the door and the other
} scholars came in, they saw the six reb-
els sitting in a woeful subdued state on a
t long bench. Fred Hooper and Gregory
) Bunker had their faces hidden in their
hands and were sobbing dismally. Jed
) Bunker, sullen but subdued, sat at the
: end of the row, with wen-like bump on
t his head, swollen cheek and torn
coat.
? Miss Betsey stood at her desk striking
her skinny skirts with the rawhide,
7 and keeping an eye on the six boys,
while the other pupils silently took
l their seats. During the day Mr.. Jason
1 Perry and the other two members of the
5 board visited the school. News of the
3 trouble had already reached them, and
3 they congratulated Miss Betsey on he1
victory.
''And now," said Mr.. Perry, uncon.
sciously using the words of Fred Hooper,
t ''you boys and girls want to understand
that's there's been new leaf turned
/ over in the management of this school,
and the board inteuds to stand by Miss
3, Pike; and in order to help her along a
little we have agreed to expel for a
month the six boys who tried to bar her