The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-24
play the coward or traitor to save your

play the coward or traitor to save your
property.
Michael, finding that he could make no
impression upon the fears or the avar1ce
of the boys determined to carry their
Notifications by storm. Accordingly. ne
procured a heavy fence rail and com
menced the assault upon the door. 1t
soon came to pieces; and the upper logs
fell out leaving a space of about three
feet at the top. Michael boldly entered
the breach, when. by the articles or war,
sticks were thrown aside as no longer
lawful weapons. He was resolutely met
on the half demolished rampant by Peter
Jones and william Smith. supported by
James Griffen. These were the three
largest boys in the school-the first about
l6 years of age the second about 10, and
the third Just H. Twice was Michael re-
pulsed by these young champions; but the
third effort carried him fairly into the
fortress. Hostilities now ceased for
while. and the captain and I, having lev
elled the remaining logs at the door, fol-
lowed Michael into the house. large
three-inch plank Of it deserve that name,
for it was wrought from the half or a
trees trunk entirely with the axe), at
tached to the logs by means of wooden
pins, served the whole school for a writ
Ing desk. At a convenient distance below
IT. and on a line with 1t, stretched a
house. which answered for the writer S
seat. Michael took his seat upon the
desk placed his feet on the seat, and
was sitting very composedly, when, with
n simultaneous movement, Pete and Bill
seized each leg and marched off with
| II In quick time. The consequence is OBJ
yious: Michael's head first took the desk.
then the seat; and finally the ground dor
| the house was not f1oored), with three
| soporous thumps of most doleful por-
| tent. No sooner did he touch the ground
| than he was completely buried with boys,
| The three elder lay themselves across his
| head, neck and breast, the rest arranging
| themselves ad libitum. Michael's equa-
nin,ity was considerably disturbed by the
first thump, became FESTIVE with the sec
| ond, and took flight with the third. His
frsr effort was to disengage his legs, for
without them he could not rise. and to lie
| in his present position was extremely in
convenient and undignified. Accordingly
he drew up his right and kicked at ram
dom. This movement laid out about six
in various directions upon the floor. Two
rose CRYING: Ding his old red-headed
skim" said one of them, ito go and kick
me fright in my sore belly. where I fell
down and raked 1t, running after that fell
low that cried 'school-butter!
"Drot his old snaggle-tooth picture
said the other,s~to go and hurt my sore
toe. where / knocked the nail off going
to the spring to fetch a gourd of water
for him. and not for myself n'other!'
"Hutr said Captain Griffen, young
Washingtons mind these trifles! At him
again"
The name of Washington cured their
wounds and dried up their tears In an
instant. and they legged him de novo.
The left leg treated six more as uncere-
moniously as the right had those just
mentioned; but the talismanic name had
Just fallen upon their ears before the
kick, so they were invulnerable. They
therefore returned to the attack without
loss of time. The struggle seemed to wax
.hotter and hotter for a short time after