ained was his nickname--the boy lingered with that
loving inflection of admiration that a younger boy will sometimes have
for a husky, courageous older lad. The second time Bud spoke of him he
called him "Forbeszy," and Margaret perceived that here was Bud's model
of manhood. Delicate Forbes could outshoot and outride even Jed Brower
when he chose, and his courage with cattle was that of a man. Moreover,
he was good to the younger boys and wasn't above pitching baseball with
them when he had nothing better afoot. It became evident from the
general description that Delicate Forbes was not called so from any lack
of inches to his stature. He had a record of having licked every man
teacher in the school, and beaten by guile every woman teacher they had
had in six years. Bud was loyal to his admiration, yet it could be
plainly seen that he felt Margaret's greatest hindrance in the school
would be Delicate Forbes.

Margaret mentally underlined the names in her memory that belonged to
the back seats in the first and second rows of desks, and went home
praying that she might have wisdom and patience to deal with Jed Brower
and Timothy Forbes, and through them to manage the rest of her school.

She surprised Bud at the dinner-table by handing him a neat diagram of
the school-room desks with the correct names of all but three or four of
the scholars written on them. Such a feat of memory raised her several
notches in his estimation.

"Say, that's going some! Guess you won't forget nothing, no matter how
much they try to make you."

CHAPTER X

The minister did not appear until late in the evening, after Margaret
had gone to her room, for which she was sincerely thankful. She could
hear his voice, fretful and complaining, as he called loudly for Bud to
take the horse. It appeared he had lost his way and wandered many miles
out of the trail. He blamed the country for having no better trails, and
the horse for not being able to find his way better. Mr. Tanner had gone
to bed, but Mrs. Tanner bustled about and tried to comfort him.

"Now that's too bad! Dearie me! Bud oughta hev gone with you, so he
ought. Bud! _Oh_, Bud, you 'ain't gonta sleep yet, hev you? Wake up and
come down and take this horse to the barn."

But Bud declined to descend. He shouted some sleepy directions from his
loft where he slept, and said the minister could look after his own
horse, he "wasn'ta gonta!" There was "plentya corn in the bin."

T