and skinny that he never could have gotten him down and there he'd stuck
right in his throat. He'd been worse than Jonah and the whale."

"Are you going to stand for that, Spike?" inquired Fred mischievously,
hoping to start an argument of some kind.

"He has to," said George. "He has nothing to say about the matter at
all," and he assumed a careless and indifferent air.

"If I wasn't so weak just now I certainly would make him eat those
words," exclaimed John.

"You hear that?" demanded George. "It's always 'if' with him."

"And you always pick on a man when he's down," retorted John.

"How about me? Just look at the terrible wound I have on the back of my
hand."

"Yes," said Grant, "the parrot thought you were bird seed."

"Or a cracker," added Fred.

"That's right," cried George, pretending to be greatly hurt. "You all
always take sides against me. Still it's an even match at that."

"I guess we'd better take some of that conceit out of him, don't you?"
exclaimed Grant slowly advancing towards George.

"Well, I should say so," cried Fred eagerly, and a moment later George
was at the bottom of a pile of four boys, three of whom busied
themselves with poking him in the ribs, jouncing up and down on his
stomach and in every other way possible making it just as uncomfortable
as they could for him.

Everyone was laughing and in good humor, however. Seldom it was that any
of these boys lost his temper, for they had learned long ago just how
foolish a proceeding that was. The one who gets angry is always teased,
but there is no satisfaction in plaguing a boy who ignores it or gives
as good as he receives and always keeps his temper under control.

Finally George was released and all four boys rose to their feet
laughing and good natured. Sam had been a greatly interested spectator
of these proceedings and had enjoyed them greatly.

"Say," he exclaimed, "dey am jus' about as bad as fightin' sha'ks."

"You notice it took three of them to do it though, don't you, Sam?"
exclaimed George, weak from laughter and loss of breath.

"Want some more?" demanded Grant.

"If you'll come one at a time, I'm willing."

"Dat's de way," exclaimed Sam. "One at a time. Dat's fair."

"We'll postpone it till to-morrow," said Grant. "I'm winded."

"You're afraid of me," taunted George.

"Oh, go and play with your parrot," exclaimed Fred. "You're a bird
yourself."

"Where is he?" demanded George. "I'd almost forgotten him.