h his seat.
With an auger he made a hole in the floor and brought the end through.
He managed to keep this bit of rope concealed, while at the same time
he had perfect command of his trap door.

For two or three nights previous to commencement day Belton had worked
until nearly morning filling this cistern with water. Now when through
delivering his oration, he had returned to his seat to await the
proper moment for the payment of his teacher. The judges were out
debating the question as to who had won. They seemed to be unable
to decide who was victorious and beckoned for the teacher to step
outside.

They said: "That black nigger has beat the yellow one all to pieces
this time, but we don't like to see nigger blood triumph over any
Anglo-Saxon blood. Ain't there any loop-hole where we can give it to
Bernard, anyhow?"

"Well, yes," said the teacher eagerly, "on the ground of good
behavior."

"There you hit it," said the Mayor. "So we all decide."

The judges filed in, and the Mayor arose to announce their decision.
"We award," said he to the breathless audience, "the prize to Bernard
Belgrave."

"No! no! no!" burst forth from persons all over the house. The
congressman arose and went up to Belton and congratulated him upon
his triumph over oratory, and lamented his defeat by prejudice. This
action caused a perceptible stir in the entire audience.

The teacher went to his desk and produced a large gold medal. He took
his accustomed place on the platform and began thus:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the proudest moment of my life." He got
no further. Belton had pulled the rope, the rope had caused the weight
to fall, and the weight had pulled the prop and down had gone the
teacher into a well of water.

"Murder! Murder! Murder!" he cried "Help! Help! Help! I am drowning.
Take me out, it is cold."

The audience rushed forward expecting to find the teacher in a
dangerous situation; but they found him standing, apparently unharmed,
in a cistern, the water being a little more than waist deep. Their
fright gave way to humor and a merry shout went up from the throats of
the scholars.

The colored men and women laughed to one side, while the white people
smiled as though they had admired the feat as a fine specimen of
falling from the sublime to the ridiculous. Bending down over the
well, the larger students caught hold of the teacher's arms and lifted
him out.

He stood before the audience wet and shivering