"
"What then made you let him do it?" asked little freckled-face Will
Horton, from where he lay on the ground.
"Didn't I tell you he catched me foul?" demanded Tom, glaring at the
urchin; "if I'd knowed what was coming things would have been
different."
"Dick and Fred knowed he was coming for _them_," added Will, "for he
walked clear across the schoolroom."
"You've got too much to say," retorted Dick Culver, angrily; "when we
want your advice we'll ask for it."
"Well, boys, you had better make up your minds to behave yourselves and
then there won't be any trouble," was the sensible advice of Jimmy
Thompson, who had perched himself on a log, and was swinging his bare
feet back and forth; "Mr. Lathrop is the best teacher we ever had and
he suits the rest of us first rate."
"Of course he suits all boys that ha'n't any spirit," was the crushing
response of the leader, "but I've a plan that'll teach him that me and
Dick and Fred ain't that kind of chaps."
"How are you going to help yourself?"
After several mysterious hints and nods of the head, Tom revealed his
stupendous scheme for bringing the teacher to terms.
"You know the big hornet's nest over in Bear Hollow?"
Inasmuch as there wasn't a boy in the crowd who hadn't shied stones at
the object named (always without hitting it), no further information
was necessary.
"Well, I'm going to put that nest in the teacher's desk, and when he
comes in, takes his seat and raises the lid, won't there be music?"
The scheme was so prodigious that for a full half minute all stared
open mouthed at their leader without speaking.
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