The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-01

cried sometimes, ana ne told us nlS
nerves were frightfully tricky. and Of
ten led him TO be harsh when he didn t
mean it, He couldn't keep order or
make chaps work if they didn't t choose,
and Steggles. who had an awfully cum
ming dodge Of always rubbing him up
the wrong way and then looking
crushed and broken hearted so as to get
things, which he did. said that Frenchy
was like damp fireworks, because you
never knew exactly when he'd go off or
how.
One day, dashing out of class with {
frightful yell, Freckles got sent for.
and went back and found monsieur
raving mad. 1t seemed that Freckles
had yelled too soon-before he was out
of the classroom, in fact. and Frenchy
had got palpitation from it. He let into
Freckles properly then. He said he was
his sbete noire' and s1un sot vingt-
ouatre carats which means an Is
carat ass in English, but "a carats in
French-and zone Of the aborigines
who ought to be kept on chain, = and
many other suchlike things. Freckles
turned all colors, and then white, with
a sort Of blush tint to his lips. He
didn't say word, but looked at Frenchy
with such afrightful expression that I
felt sor1ething would happen later. All
that happened at the time was that
Freckles got the eighth book Of Tele-
machus to write out into French from
English, and then correct by Fenelon,
which was a pretty big job if a chap
had been fool enough to try and do
it, and NJ Michel went off to Meri-
vale with big card huttering on his
coattail with "Ici on parle Francois"
written on it in red pencil. This I had
managed to do myself while Frenchy
was jawing Freckles. told Freckles,
but it didn't comfort him much. He
said there were some things no mortal
man would stand, and to be called can
aborigine'' because man was born in
Australia seemed to him about the BIT
terest insult even an old frog eating
Frenchman could have invented Flap
pening to him Of all chaps it was espe-
cially thing which would have to be
revenge6, seeing what his views were.
He said.
.sI couldn't bushrange or anything
with clear conscience in the future if
Ihad a thing like this hanging over me.
It's the frightfulest slur on my char
acter, and I won't sit down under it
for so Frenchmen.
Their he said he should take week
70 settle what to do. and went into the
playground alone.
Next time Frenchy came up he was
Just the same as awfully easygo-
ing and jolly and let Freckles off the
Telemachus, and offered him as classy
a knife, with corkscrew and other
things, including tweezers, as ever you
saw-just the knife for Freckles, con-
sidering his ways. But it didn't come
off. Freckles got white again when he
saw the knife and said:
..Thank you, monsieur. don't want
your knife. and the imposition is half
done, and will be finished next time
you come.
Then Fren-hy called him a silly boy
and tried to make joke and playfully
pinch Freckles by the ear. But nobody
saw the joke. and Freckles lodged
away. Then Frenchy sighed and looked
round to see who should have the knife
and didn t seem to see anybody in par
ticular and left it on his desk. He Of
ten sighed in class, and sometimes told
us he was without friends unless he
might call as friends, and we said he
might.
When he went, Freckles told me he
considered the knife was another insult
Then he explained what he was going
to do. He said:
81 shall finish the impo. first, so as
not to be obliged to him for anything
and then I shall stick him up
s.Stick him up? How?" I said
cts bushranging expression, he
explained. ITO stick up man is to
make him stand and deliver what he's
got I see my way to do this with
Frenchy He always goes and CONES
from Merivale through the woods, as
you know, and now he's up here on
Friday nights coaching Slade and Bet
terton for their army exam. Afterward
he has supper with Mr.. Thompson OF
the doctor There you are. wait my
time in the wood, which is jolly lonely
by night, though it is such potty lit
tie place hardly worth calling wood.
Then he comes along, and stick him
up
"It's highway robbery" I said
"You might get years and years of i'm
priscnment. I"
..I might he said, "but shan't.
You must begin your career some time,
and I'm going to next Friday night.
I've often got out of the dormitory and
been in that wood by night, and only
the chaps in the dormitory have known
It. !"
Well, the night came. and all that
we heard about it till ..eterward was
that about II o'clock, c. possibly even
later than that, there was a fearful
pealing at the front door Of Dunston's 8,
and looking out we could see stretcher
and something on it. That something
was actually Freckles, though the few
chaps who knew what was going to be
done felt sure it must be Frenchy. Be
cause Freckles is feet % inches and
growing, and Frenchy isn't more than