The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-19


schcolhouse:
CoRNBREAD SCHOOL.
The teacher was husky farmer who
taught school for the same reason that his
pupils attended it-because there was no
work 10 do on the farm in the winter. AS
he glanced up in anger after seeing the /
carving on his table, he saw the name cut !
into the window casing. 1t stood out in
bright. yellowish brown on the painted |
background of drab In another instant |
he had Noel by the neckband of the coat. |
and had jerked the boy on the platform
I'm going to lick you for cutting my !
desk and that window" he said. with ill
suppressed anger. Bob Pollard. bring me
the biggest stick from the corner. 1t was |
/ a mean trick and il wasn't even smart, for
/ you put your name where 1 couldn't help
seeing it. And after you cut your name
/ on the window you cut my desk TO call my
special attention TO il, did your
/ Bob Pollard walked over to the corner of
/ the room where the collection of 1.-the. ha-
| eel whips were leaning. He cast one quick
glance at Noel Shacklett wondering
/ whether that partner in crime would tell
the truth and implicate him. In walking
to the whips he selected one that was large
in diameter, but had in it's middle al
most invisible split; it would break off at
the split, probably, as soon as put into
energetic action and that caused it's selec
tion-for Bob Pollard felt that he was Sc
lecting a rod for his own punishment as
soon as Noel Shacklett came to his senses
and told the whole story
Noel stood looking at his heavy boots
without a word. The teacher turned him
around into convenient position and laid
on the blows heavily and Justify The
stick did not break, and Bob Pollard felt
sorry for Noel-and wondered how soon he
would cry out that he did not cut the desk.
But Noel went back to his seat after the
whipping without a sound.
Il thought you'd tell" said Bob Pollard.
in the privacy of a fence corner up the
road at the noon hour.
What's the use?" replied Noel; 'T
wouldn't "a got licked any less, an you'd
"a got licked harder. What-chu done
wasn't much nohow. I've got my
name up higher an anybody else. an cut
1t with my left hand. too. I reckon it'll
stay there, an when I'm a man. an
mebby director, I'll look at it an there
won't be name cut no higher. an I'll
know 1 cut it with my left hand instid O.
my right, like other boys
You're alters dom things different
commented Bob Pollard, IAN most o. us
I'D "a told the teacher
I'm a-goin' to tell mother all about it,
said Noel. as he walked out of the corner
of the fence toward the schoolhouse. but
I'd hate TO tell her 1 got another boy
licked jest cause 1 could. She'll be sorry
l cut at all, but she'll be glad l didn't tat
tie on you. Some folks says I'm like pap,
I
pap useter do things. but mothers good as
they make EN-
He had the respect of his own generation
because of his strength and perseverance
in friendship, two qualities reckoned the
highest in the account books of character
kept in that community He worked hard
on the farm his mother obtained in
change for the town property left by her
husband, and he was not to be outdone in
the rugged sports of the winter nights. He
was seventeen years old when he gained
still higher reputation by recovering from
injuries sustained in coon hunt that the
old botanic doctor said ought to have
killed him. Victory in any kind of con-
test was appreciated by these people. and
a victory over death was the winning of a
sweepstakes prize of laurel.
The plans for the coon hunt were made
at noon at school while the pupils ate their
dinners from baskets which were set upon
the desk tops AS soon as the stock-feed-
ing was done that evening the boys started
for the bottoms and met soon after at the
, creek.
"Who-e-O-e-O-e-O-o" rang out the ca
dence over forty acres of corn and ten of
meadow to pierce the forest of oak and
elm. Again it came from another direction
and more family. From all directions but
the one shut off by the bottom woods it
came at intervals, each boy announced
his coming and distance at the moment
from the rendezvous. When all reached
. the creek there were seven boys and three
dogs the dogs would be rated ours in
a bench show, but each had a reputation
to sustain a coon dog-and that meant
having the same hardy and appreciated
qualities as had it's owner.
The bottoms were five miles wide and as
long as the river, which meant almost as
long as the State, for Illinois rivers, though
I few, are almost interminably long in ratio
to their sizes at the mouths. Deep into the
forest went the boys, the dogs scouting
ahead, behind and on the TANKS of the adj
; vance After a tramp through brush and
i over logs for half an hour one of the dogs
was heard barking off to the right The
{ boys started to follow the dog.
: Noel Shacklett was in the lead and
c thrashed through the underbrush at a
{ great rate, lodging around this young tree
. and pressing that sapling to one side. bear
ing down and straddling bushes with
trunks as large as a broomstick; taking
one fallen tree at a bound and touching
another log with foot as he sprang
: over It. AT his right was one of the Fetch
l. boys, and behind him came the others
. trailing in a zigzag line, with awkward
Joe Bergman in the rear. Nothing was
e said. for there was nothing to do but fol
X low the dog, which was chasing coon anc
II at intervals barking loud enough to make
: the very tree tops culver. Suddenly Berg
II man gave a whoop and excitedy called:
lie Here's another 'un! Here's another 'un
u Bring the AK"
"a Just then the dog tackled to the right
n and Noel Shacklett yelled: Keep a-goin'
n Fletcher; I'll stay with this uni The res
II of the hunters turned and followed Fetch
l. er, while Shacklett ran back TO wher,
e Bergman was guarding a tree not mucl
y larger than his own thigh.
Go on and bring back a dog" saiC
is Shacklett land I'll watch him till you gi