ey up
too."

"Of course," said his brother, "but Ozzie B., when you bluff, bluff
bold; when you bet, bet big; when you steal, steal straight."

Ozzie B. shook his head. Then he looked up at the sun high above the
trees.

He sprang up from the log, pale and scared.

"Archie B.--Archie B., jes' look at the sun! It must be 'leven
o'clock an--an think what we'll ketch for bein' late at school. Oh,
but I clean forgot--oh--"

He started off trembling.

"Hold on, hold on!" said his brother running and catching Ozzie B. in
the coat collar. "Now you sho'ly ain't goin' to be sech a fool as
that? It's too late to go now; we'll only ketch a whuppin'. We are
goin' to play hookey to-day."

But Ozzie B. only shook his head. "That's wrong--so wrong. The
Lord--He will not bless us--maw says so. Oh, I can't, Archie B."

"Now look here, Ozzie B. The Lord don't expec' nobody but a fool to
walk into a tan-hidin'. If you go to school now, old Triggers will
tan yo' hide, see? Then he'll send word to paw an' when you get home
to-night you'll git another one."

"Maw said I was to allers do my duty. Oh, I can't tell him a lie!"

"You've got to lie, Ozzie B. They's times when everybody has got to
lie. Afterwards when it's all over an' understood they can square it
up in other ways. When a man or 'oman is caught and downed it's all
over--they can't tell the truth then an' get straight--an' there's no
come ag'in! But if they lie an' brazen it out they'll have another
chance yet. Then's the time to stop lyin'--after yo' ain't caught."

"Oh, I can't," said Ozzie B., trying to pull away. "I must--must go
to school."

"Rats"--shouted Archie B., seizing him with both hands and shaking
him savagely--"here I am argu'in' with you about a thing that any
fool orter see when I cu'd a bin yonder a huntin' for that squirrel
nest I wus tellin' you about. Now what'll happen if you go to school?
Ole Triggers'll find out where you've been an' what a-doin'--he'll
lick you. Paw'll know all about it when you git home--he'll lick
you."

Ozzie B. only shook his head: "It's my duty--hate to do it, Archie
B.--but it's my duty. If the Lord wills me a lickin' for tellin' the
truth, I'll, I'll hafter take it--" and he looked very resigned.

"Oh, you're playin' for martyrdom again!"

"There was Casabianca, Archie B.--him that stood on the burnin'
deck"--he ventured timidly.

"Tarnashun!" shouted his brother--"an' I hope he is still standin' on
a burnin'