"I've been thinking of that. Let's vote on it now. What do you say? One
string for the minister?"

"Yes," said Ford, "a bass for Mr. Fallow, a small pickerel for Mrs.
Fallow, and a perch or a pumpkin-seed for each of the six little
Fallows."

"All right; and that big pickerel I caught, for Dr. Brandegee, and the
biggest bass in the lot to keep it company. Let's make him up a prime
good mess."

"One that'll stand an examination," said Ford.

CHAPTER XXXI.

FIGHT, AND WHAT CAME OF IT.

Dick Lee was an unwise boy that afternoon.

He knew how to turn his hand to a great many things, thanks to his
home-training; and a woodpile was one of the matters he had learned how
to deal with, but he had not taken hold of that of Mrs. Myers with any
heart for his work.

It was simply impossible for him to imagine that he was pulling in fish,
or having any other kind of fun, while he was sawing wood, or even while
splitting it.

There was, however, something almost vicious in the way he came down
with his axe upon some of the more obstinate pieces.

"He will be a very useful boy," remarked Mrs. Myers, as she watched him
from the window; "but I fear I shall have some difficulty with the
others. They are very much inclined to be uppish."

Dick toiled faithfully; and he felt it as a kind of relief, late in the
day, to be sent to the grocery-store, at the lower end of the village,
with a basket that was to bring home the usual Saturday assortment for
Mrs. Myers.

He did well enough in going; but on his way home, if the truth must be
told, Dick Lee loitered dreadfully. It was so nice a day, and he had
been so long at his woodpile, and he had had so little time to call his
own that week.

Over on the green, the boys of the village were playing a sort of
"match-game" of base-ball, with a picked nine from the academy; and
there seemed no reason why Dick and his basket should not stroll along
inside the barrier-fence of the green, and see them play it.

That was where his unwisdom showed itself; for among the boys who were
not playing were Joe and Fuz Hart and all their "crowd," and this was
the first time they had seen Dick on the green "all alone."

That would have been quite enough of itself, considering how black he
was, and that he was a "new boy" at the academy; but the additional fact
that he had his basket on his arm opened the way to trouble for him all
the sooner.

He was standing still, on the walk ne