Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-02-28

lay awake most of one night thinking
about it and got up in the morning
desperately miserable. He could not
return to the college without money
and he did not like to go home defeat
ed.
"If could be giant about week
/ would give a great deal" he said to
Uncle Seth and Sister Cynthia.
brains is worth heap more'n
muscle, though, in the long run, an
swered Uncle Seth. when you find
hump you can't walk right over
you must find a way to go round it,
you know That's what I've learned
in my time Jest git around it some
way or another. "
That was, in fact, the only way he
could hope to continue the school,
Mark understood plainly; but SO far
he had not discovered how to proceed.
He began Immediately, however, to
study the characters of the pupils who
annoyed him and to adapt himself to
the necessities OF the occasion. BY
making an effort to keep them in good
humor he gained time to begin with;
then he managed at recess and after
school to draw them into friendly con-
versation about their trips to the fish
ing banks, told good story which set
them laughing, and finally succeeded
in capturing one. named Jake Clinch,
to go fishing with him that night.
Though not quite the acknowledged
leader of the school, Jake was the
stoutest and strongest of them all; and
Mark decided that if he could make a
stanch friend OF him the future would
be safe. Sitting out on one OF the
lodges in the moonlight angling he
found an opportunity to become very
social with him. Jake at the first of
the evening, it fell out, took a fancy to
a pearl-handled jack-knife Mark cut
the bait with and after awhile Mark
made him a present of it, asking him
to keep it to remember him by. This
proved great stroke of diplomacy.
The next day Jake said the teacher
was better little "feller" than he had
supposed, and he believed they ought
to give him a show before they pitched
into him. The others did not quite
agree with him; but they hesitated to
do any thing that he would not take
part in, and revolutionary proceedings
were, therefore, suspended for awhile.
"We'll tackle him spellin' school
night" said Jim Nixon, the most pug
nacious one among those dissatisfied.
"That'll be the time Every body will
be around then to see us do it"
Having received hint from Jake,
Mark exercised all the tact he could
muster in obtaining postponement OF
the customary spelling school, and, to
the surprise of Uncle Seth and the
neighborhood, a month passed without
there being any riot in the school.
house. The slim teacher was u cutter
fellow than any body had supposed, il
began to be said; and when Uncle Seth
and Sister Cynthia let it be known thai
the little fellow was poor as Jobs tur
key and a-tryin' to scrape something
together to get an education with
some of the rough old fishermen, wht
had warm hearts under their pea
jackets, said: Those ere boys had bet
ter huff it little and not carry quite Sc
much topsail "
Mark found each day difficult tt
manage, though, Notwithstanding tbs
apparent tranquility, and he knew
that the dreaded spelling-school mus
take place sooner or later The bes
he could do was to keep Jake on hi
side and put it off as long as possible
The anxiety he suffered from day t.
day was more than he had evel
imagined before; but he was beginnin.
to have confidence in himself, and h
meant now to continue the school t.
the close, happen what might.
The struggle terminated at the emf
of the seventh week, one snowy Frida
night. Every body, it seemed t
t Mark, had turned and crowded int,
the school-house. The spelling-s choo
I was at last about to take place. Ian
terms were hung from the ceiling t.
light up the odd assembly. the stov
J was got into red-hot condition t
, drive out the cold, sides for tn
! spelling-match were chosen, and tn
. undertaking began under Marks d
rection. But it was evident to him be
} fore he had proceeded very far ths
, the attention of the majority of thos
! present was not fixed on the words i
< the spelling-book. Outdoors som,
4 body was heaping up snow against th
2 window nearest thin and ali tine6s
1 feeling appeared to prevail within
1 When half hour had passed and h
t had become so nervous that it wa
difficult for him to pronounce tn
|. words he was giving out the china
i arrived. First there was loud ca
d call outdoors; next two of the light
d were extinguished, then suddenly tn
d window at his left was pushed in an
e instantly Jim Nixon with three or for
e others leaped over the seats and rushe
e toward him.
d "Out with him! Bury him hea
= first!" he heard them shout, and the
great confusion followed.
|, just how it all occurred nobody eve
: knew; but by the time Mark recovert
d his wits he found himself squeezed il
J, to corner behind Jake Clinch, WI
e was striking out from the shoulder ar
d saying fiercely; Now, then, il
d Nixon, | gin you fair warnin' I'd star
g up for him, and will!h In anoth,
Of moment two big fishermen seized ii
ID and threw him headlong out the wi