The suburban citizen., 1902-05-31

| a passion tOr tanning wild creatures,
and a small menagerie of birds and
beasts, caught in the woods and in the
process Of domestication, occupied
every corner of the camp not pre-empt,
ed by the neecssarles Of housekeeping
The pride Of the collection was
Daniel a full-grown porcupme. II
seems absurd to think of making pet
of such an animal, but although Daniel
was unresponsive. Spring was perse,
vering, and would have parted with
all the other specimens before the
porcupine.
Daniel lived in & long, low packing.
box, set In a warm cerner near the
stove. The top of the cage was made
of Stats 10 admit Of ventilation, and
over it a piece of burlap sacking was
thrown, to humor the porcupine's love
Of retirement and darkness.
On the morning of the day which
Jotham had declared holiday Spring
rose early. with some hope of getting
to school in advance of his tormentor
But he was still eating his frugal
breakfast when the bully rode up to the
cabin, tied his horse, and entered
without knocking at the door.
wal, perfessor," he said, laughing
boisterously, school amt keepin' to-
day, after all, is she?"
"Get out Of this house, roared the
little teacher, angrily.
Jotham's laugh grew more impudent
81 cal'late to enjoy your agreeable
society for some two er three hours
ylt" he said. "Set DOWN. as Spring
rose from the table "You look here
and behave yourself?' and he drew an
old pistol of formidable size from un,
der his coat and fiourlshed it threat.
eningly.
OF course he did not mean to shoot,
but people who intend to shoot others
are not the only ones who manage to
do it, and the teacher realized the
fact.
They sat there for half an hour or
more, Jotham chuckling with delight,
Spring glaring with silent fury at the
bully. At half past eight Jotham re-
marked cheerfully:
"As we're a-goin' to hev quite a ses-
sion, perfessor. we mays well be COM
Portable. My boots gals me some, so
off they come"
Off they came, and Jotham, expand
ing with comfort, removed his coat as
well. He also helped himself to a pie
which one of the women Of the settle.
ment had baked for Spring, and con.
sumed it to the very last crumb, the
teacher fumng helplessly.
Now, perfessor," he went on. after
wiping his mouth upon his sleeve,
"sposen We enjoy ourselves. You'd
like to be over at school maxim them
little fellers speak their pieces. You
set where ye be and I'll speak We a
piece, and mind We teach me good
or I'll likely come down and wallop
yen
He mounted the nearest box, which
happened to be Daniels cage, and
dancing a jig upon it in his stocking
feet, he began to shout, gesticulating
wildly with his pistol the while:
"The boy stood on the burning deck,
Whence all but"
Here the defamation ceased abrupt
ly, for Jotham suddenly leaped high
in the air and came tumbling down at
full length on the floor. His pistol flew
across the room and he writhed about,
his feet in his hands, and howled with
pain and fright.
Daniel, whose temper was none Of
the sweetest, was greatly disturbed
by the racket above his head, and had
bumped his back angrily A number
Of his quilts, pointed like steel needles
and barbed like fine fsh-hooks, had
passed between the Stats, penetrated
the sacking and Jotham's woolen
stockings, and entered the soles of
Jotham's feet where, in his frantic
movements, they broke off short in the
flesh.
Spring made good use Of his enemys
discontinue. Not forgetting to seize
the pistol, which had fallen at his feet,
he tore open the door and made ex.
traordinary speed in the direction Of
the school. 1t was one minute Of nine
when be entered the door; the pupils
gaped at him in open-mouthed won.
der.
II received a call from Jotham Neg.
ley this morning" he announced with
dignity, 'and succeeded in convincing
him that school would go OH as usual.
Jotham himself will not be present.
and the session need not be delayed OH
his account"
Later in the morning Jotham, crest.
fallen and sulky, was seen riding home.
ward, his boots slung across the sad.
die and his feet dangling out Of the
stirrups. 1t was more than a week
before he appeared in public for it is
a difficult task to remove porcupine
quills which have entered the flesh,
and quite impossible to do so without
the delicate barbs tearing the flesh
sadly. He never attended school
again.
The curiosity Of the little community
was painfully acute on the subject OF
the bully's discontinue at the hands
of the puny little teacher; but Jotham
was glum, and the nrofessor occan+ad