t
morning when all would be deep in their studies and a profound silence
filled the hall, Paul would quietly slip the board away from the hole.
Attracted by the light, the squirrel would soon come out. The studious
(?) boys who were posted, kept one eve on their books and one on the
hole. When the squirrel appeared, as it usually did in a short time
these would start up with well feigned cries of alarm. In a moment the
entire study-hall was in an uproar, all pursuing the bewildered
squirrel. The first or second time this occurred, the staid professor
took active part in the exciting chase. The frequent recurrence of
squirrel hunts in the study-hall awakened suspicion in the minds of
the faculty. An investigation was made, Paul and Stockie were called to
the president's room and interviewed regarding squirrels and their
habits. After this, the study-hall was no longer disturbed by these
little denizens of the forest.

About the last time that Paul went swimming to Bruce's dam, a decayed
thorn was driven into his foot, a portion of which he was unable to
remove. This troubled him occasionally. During the month of November the
foot commenced to swell in an alarming manner. He had to remain in the
dormitory for over a week. While he was still an invalid, a box arrived
from home full of cakes, candies, preserves and many other goodies dear
to a school-boy's heart. In the box was also a present from his younger
brother. It had been packed in without the knowledge of his mother. It
was a large Chinese firecracker. Paul carefully concealed this precious
gift until a grand occasion would come to fire it. At recess many of
the boys came up to see him, and incidentally to share in the delicasies
he had received. Stockie came also and told Paul that their crowd had
discovered a tale-bearer in the person of a youth from Johnstown, Penn.
He wound up by adding:

"And how are we to fix him?"

Paul answered mysteriously: "Leave it to me. I have it; bring me all the
string you can find."

From day to day Stockie produced liberal supplies of the desired
article. No doubt most of it belonged to the boy whose innocent pastime
was that of flying kites during recess. Paul wound this string firmly
and tightly around the Chinese cracker until it had assumed
considerable proportions. He argued on the principle that, if paper
resisted the force of the explosion, the additional binding of string
would cause a much lo