Page:Fairview Boys and their Rivals.djvu/70

66 "It was an accident," gasped Jed.

"Take that—and that! and that!"

Jed roared like a whipped calf. At each word she spoke, the little miss gave him a hard box on the ears.

By this time every boy and girl on the playground had gathered at the spot.

"Oh, goody! goody!" cried some little girls, clapping their hands in glee.

"You let go my hair!" blubbered Jed, making a pretty picture to look at.

"And that!" cried the girl, giving him a last cuff, as he ran off.

"Cow-ard! cow-ard!" shouted all the little fellows, as Jed, in shame and disgrace, sneaked away. He left his cap behind him, and was afraid to come back for it.

"Tom," said Sammy, slapping him on the back, "you fell down just in time."

"Sorry, but I'm so fat, you know!" grinned Tom, and everybody laughed.

Jed Burr was grumpy all the rest of that day. He kept away from the games at recess. Bob noticed him and two or three of his favorite chums talking together in a mysterious way.

"Tell you, Frank," he said, a little later, "Jed looks pretty ugly at us."

"Oh, he'll get over it," replied Frank, lightly.

"One of Jed's friends hinted to me to-day that we'd better look out."

"Pshaw, Jed Burr is just squelched," said Sammy.

The seat the teacher gave Tom was not very comfortable for him. Bob had an end desk, and gave it up to Tom till the teacher could arrange for some other. Bob took the desk of a scholar who was absent.