Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-12-15
CHAPTER |.

months had silver plated the
rivers bed with frosted cruSts
vas ripped off and dashed into Il mil
lion gushing flakes by the amber out.
rush of the springtide Hood.
On that day ! had laid my plans for
fishing.
So certain was | of a holiday undls.
turbed by schoolroom tasks that |
whistled up boldly as | sat on my cot
bed sorting hooks according to their
sizes and smoothing out my feather
flies to make sure the moths had not
loosened wing or body. 1t was there
fore with misgiving that / heard Peter
and Esk go into the schoolroom.
Now, we had no tasks set us for
three weeks. for our schoolmaster, Mr..
Yost. %journeying with the post to visit
his mother in Pennsylvania, had been
shot and scalped at Eastertide near
Fort Pitt.
My guardian, Sir William Johnson,
who, as all know. was commissioner of
Indian affairs for the crown, had but
NNSbNA& AtNuL LOo t1lC ullCl aSt
with his secretary, Captain Walter But
Ter, and, ~preoccupied with the lamenta-
BILE murder Of Mr.. Yost. had found lit
tie time to concern himself with us or
our affairs,
So, hearing Esk and fat Peter on
their way to the schoolroom, l took
alarm, believing that our new school
master had arrived, so seized my fish
rod and started TO slip out Of the house
before any n might summon me.
However, l was seen In the hallway by
Captain Butler, Sir Williams secreta-
~, and ordered to find my books and
report to him at the schoolroom.
/ Of course paid no heed to Mr.. But
Ter, but walked defiantly downstairs,
although he called me twice in his cold,
menacing voice. And / should have
continued triumphantly out Of the door
and across the fields to the river had
not / me- Silver Heels dancing through
the lower hallway.
"Oh, Michael" she cried, you don't
know! Captain Butler has consented
to instruct us until the new schoolmas-
ter comes from Albany"
who told you that?" / answered
sulkily.
AUNT Molly. She sent me to seek
you. So now who's going fishing, my
lord?'
'If l GO" said l, 81 won't study my
books anyway. I'm too old to study
with you and Peter, and ] won't"
Sir Williams favorite ferret, yix,
with muzzle on, came sneaking along
the wall. and / grasped the 1.-THE ami
NAL and thrust 1t at Silver Heels,
wbereupon she ran upstairs like a wild
cat.
There was nothing for me but to go
to the schoolroom. / laid my rod In
the corner, pocketed the ferret, drag
ged my books from under the library
table and went slowly up the stairs.
At sixteen l was as willful a Ounce
az ever dangled feet in a schoolroom,
knowing barely sufficient Latin to fol-
low Caesar through Gaul, loathing
mathematics, scorning the poets and
ever o~bstinately marring my pen writ
ing with a heavy backward stroke.
Destined against my will for Dart
mouth college by my guardian, who
very well understood that l desired to
be a soldier, l had r~esolutely set my
self against every schoolroom accom-
plishment. And now, to my dismay
and rage, Sir William had set me once
more in the schoolroom, and under Mr..
Butler too!
Silver Heels pulled II face at me be-
hind her French grammar book. and !
pinched her arm smartly for her inn
pudence. Then, casting about for some
thing to do, | remembered the ferret in
my pocket and dragged it out. Remoy-
ing the silver bit l permitted the fer
ret to bite Peters tight b%reeches, not
meaning to hurt him, but Peter
~screeched, and Sir William came In,
very angry, saying that Mistress Molly
could hear us in the nursery and that
the infant had fallen a-roaring with
his new teeth.
II did 1t, SIR said l. "and Mr.. Butler
punished Peter
"Silence!" said Sir William sharply.
'Put that ferret out the Window
THE ferret is your best me-, yix," l
answered. "She will run to the war
rem, and we shall have to dig her
out"
Pocket her, then" said Sir William
hastily. who gave you leave to pouch
my ferrets? Micky!"
Sir" l replied sulkily.
Then he began to question me con-
corning certain gods and demigods,
and l gaped and foundered as though
! were no better than the inky rabble
ruled yer by Mr.. Butler.
Now to be hectored and questioned
by Sir William like a shifting lad with
n eye on the birch and the other on
Mr.. Butler did not please me. More
over, the others were looking on-Esk
with ink on his nose. Peter In tears,
a-licking his lump Of spruce. and that
wildcat thing. Silver Heels.
l felt for my underlip and got It be
tween my teeth, and for a space not
another word would l speak. although
that hollow roar began to sound In Sir
VILLA ms voico which ALWAYS moa nj N