Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-01-31

the little recise their lessons. Il would
not be such a difficult undertaking
after all, he fancied. The location Of
the school-house was picturesque and
romantic; it was pleasant to be so
near the ocean; and the effort to teach
was certainly not great. But it came
to PASS that th@e reflections were the
result of inexperience. On the third
day the tough set," whom Uncle
Seth had spoken of. began the attack,
and Mark had no more peace until the
term was nearly completed HE amt
no ways big enough to learn u.s." q
couple of the largest and most stupid
boys declared. "He's agoin' to be put
out right spry."
"It's their old game, young man."
said Uncle Seth, rubbing his wooden
leg thoughtfully. Their great idee
in life is to put somebody out; and We
always said that the teacher who could
master them would be fit to govern
Roosia.''
Marks first feeling was disgust. To
wrangle with ignorant DULLES was not
to his taste; and he was undecided
whether he would not give up the
school at once. They could easily put
him out, of course, if they determined
to do so; and to attempt to fight with
them was no part OF discretion. He
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.
eff could be giant about a week
I would give great DEAL" he said to
Uncle Seth and Sister Cynthia.
brains is worth a heap more'n
muscle, though, in the long rum" an
swered Uncle Seth. when you find
a hump you can't walk right over
you must find way to go round it.
you know. That's what I've learned
in my time. Jest git around it some
way or anOtner.
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 60 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 fancy to
a pearl-handled jack-knife Mark cut
the bait with; and after awhile Mark
made him present of it, asking him
to keep it to remember him by. This
proved a 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 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 a 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 q cutter
fellow than any body had supposed, it
began to be said; and when Uncle Seth
and Sister Cynthia let it be known that
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, who
had warm hearts under their pea
jackets, said: Those ere boys had bet
ter huff it little and not carry quite so
much topsail.'
Mark found each day difficult to
manage, though. Notwithstanding the
apparent tranquility, and he knew
that the dreaded spelling-school must
take place sooner or later. The best
he could do was to keep Jake on his
side and put it off as long as possible.
The anxiety he suffered from day to
A.