River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-07-11

stones. Zephaniah's position on the
crane was becoming so extremely un-
comfortable-not to speak of the prob
ability OF his slipping from it into the
hands of avenging disciple below
that he made further effort for es-
cape. He cautiously grasped a pro-
iecting rock, and drew himself up till
he found secure footing.
This new move increased the fury
Of the master TO white heat
''I'll bring ye down. if / have to
crawl up afteryer' he shouted.
| am unable 10 say whether or not
he would really have endangered the
Wilderness of his broad expanse of
shirt-bosom and high linen dickey in
the soot-lined cavity now occupied by
a very black-handed boy. Certain il
was that he had moved the kettle from
the crane and pushed aside the andi-
rons, chen his eye caught sight of a pile
Of birch bark. which was stored in a
box at one side of the chimney, and
used for kindling fires. To such a use
the Infatuated trainer of young ideas
now proceeded to put it.
With nervous haste he transferred a
large pile Of Ii TO the fireplace. and
soon had "a dense smoke rolling up the
chimney. to the horror and amaz e.
ment of the on-looking pupils.
Now well see if yen come DOWN.
grimly shouted the master. rs he threw
piece after piece of the bark upon the
writhing mass already lighted. No
boots appeared, however The smoke
grew denser and denser. and still there
came no sound from the chimney.
Zephaniah Ezekiel had not been idle.
Finding that he could 90 up one step.
there was suggested the idea of con-
tinuing on to the top of the chimney.
"a feat easy OF accomplishment in one
Of those enormous. old-fashiOned stone
structures. Crawling carefully up from
one projecting stone to another, now
lifting himself with his hands and now
with his feet, his head at last emerged
into the open air at the very instant
that the master started the fire.
Swinging himself out over the top.
h5 Slipped down upon the roof. which
was low. and .loped gradually down
over back kitchen to within six feet
Of the ground just as he slipped over
the edge of the chimney. one of the
top stones. loosened by the weather,
was knocked from its resting-place and
bounded down the chimney with much
humping from side to side. Zephaniah.
terrified by this catastrophe. slid down
the roof and disappeared behind some
bushes.
In his eaCerness to watch the smok-
ing-out of his offending pupil, the
master had dropped on hands and
knees upon the edge of the hearth.
He was peering up through the dense
cloud Of smoke when the rock. loos-
ened from the top, came bounding
down upon the hearth. bringing with
Il a cloud Of SCOT. and dropping with a
thud into the coal and ashes.
Ii was like the sudden discharge of a
volcano. The SCOT and ashes filed the
eyes. nose, ears and wide-open mouth
OF the head Of the school, while Goals
and burning bark were scattered in
every direction.
Zcphahiah. having placed goodly
distance between himself aud the scene
Of his escapade. stopped at a small
brock TO remove some of the SCOT from
his hands and face. and then to con-
slider what he should do next.
He was ''bound boy, who had been
taken from the care Of the town by a
shiftless family of the district. from
whom ne received kicks. cuffs and very
scauty food in return for all the labor
that could b, got from his small body,
when the contract with the town did
not compel certain number Of weeks
~ school.
lie knew that if he returned 10 school
he would receive most unmerciful
ilo-giug. n he returned to the place
he called home. the same emphatic at
tentiou would be bestowed upon him
as soon as report from the school
should have reached his master.
The result OF his deliberations was
that Zcphaniah Ezekiel was seen no
more in that neighborhOOd for many a
du-. Various stories were set on foot
for his disappearance, none
Of which agreed in any essential par
ticular
In the meantime the master. having
recovered from the disagreeable effects
Of SCOT and ashes upon his learned per-
son. continued to drive home many i'm
purtant educational truths with the fat
side 81 his hickory ruler. The school
moved from house TO house through
out the district; summer. with feminine
authority. succeeded the season OF
vigorous masculine rule. until winter
came again.
Two years had passed. aud the
school was once more assembled in
Aunt Sally WOcdbridge's dining-rUom,
with the same stern old man looking
sharply after mischievous boys through
the same enormous goggles On a
mild forenoon. when the water was
dripping from the ewes outside. and
the class in the Fourth Reader inside
was mournfully ''tolliug the knell of
parting day. Zephaniah Ezekiel Trask
came sauntering up the road.
He had grown 70 be great. lumber
ing boy. with arms and legs extremely
long, lie had evidently learned that
the family 70 which he had been
bound had moved away. leaving him
free - make what shift he could for
himself Where he had been or what
he had been doing were points IN which
he was very reticent.
While passing up the road. he
learned from some farm-laborer whom
he met that school was in session at
the Woodbridge house, and that his
old adversary was in command. Com
ing in sight of the house, a desire to