absorbing interest, the other would look on with interest as strong, the
two heads bowed together over the slate, and the two souls dead to all
things else. At last luck seemed to settle and abide with Joe. The
tick tried this, that, and the other course, and got as excited and as
anxious as the boys themselves, but time and again just as he would
have victory in his very grasp, so to speak, and Tom s fingers would
be twitching to begin, Joe s pin would deftly head him off, and keep
possession. At last Tom could stand it no longer. The temptation was too
strong. So he reached out and lent a hand with his pin. Joe was angry in
a moment. Said he:
Tom, you let him alone.
I only just want to stir him up a little, Joe.
No, sir, it ain t fair; you just let him alone.
Blame it, I ain t going to stir him much.
Let him alone, I tell you.
I won t!
You shall he s on my side of the line.
Look here, Joe Harper, whose is that tick?
I don t care whose tick he is he s on my side of the line, and you
sha n t touch him.
Well, I ll just bet I will, though. He s my tick and I ll do what I
blame please with him, or die!
A tremendous whack came down on Tom s shoulders, and its duplicate on
Joe s; and for the space of two minutes the dust continued to fly from
the two jackets and the whole school to enjoy it. The boys had been
too absorbed to notice the hush that had stolen upon the school awhile
before when the master came tiptoeing down the room and stood over them.
He had contemplated a good part of the performance before he contributed
his bit of variety to it.
60