e teacher, with two towels over one arm, led the
way down the road, up over a little ridge, and down to a grassy hollow
by the side of a tinkling creek. It was hard for the girl to believe
that these two boys meant to shoot each other as they had threatened,
but Pleasant had told her they surely would, and that fact held her
purpose firm. Without a word they listened while she explained, and
without a word both nodded assent--nor did they show any surprise when
the girl repeated what she had told Pleasant Trouble and Lum Chapman.

"Jes' a plain ole square, stand-up an' knock-down fight," murmured
Pleasant consolingly, pulling forth a silver quarter, "Heads--you
wipe Ham; tails--you wipe King." Miss Holden nodded, and for the
first time the two lads turned their angry eyes from each other to
the girl and yet neither asked a question. Tails it was, and the
girl motioned King to a log on one side of the hollow, and Pleasant
and Ham to another log on the other side. She handed Pleasant one
of the towels, dropped her little watch into Lum's huge palm, and on
second thought took it back again: it might get broken, and Lum might
be too busy to keep time. Only Pleasant saw the gritting of Ham's teeth
when she took her stand by King's side.

"Take off your coats!" she said sharply. The two obeyed swiftly.

"Time!" she called, and the two leaped for each other.

"Stop!" she cried, and they halted. "I forgot--shake hands!"

Both shook their heads instead, like maddened bulls, and even Lum
looked amazed; he even spoke:

"Whut's the use o' fightin', if they shakes hands?"

Miss Holden had no argument ready, and etiquette was waived. "Time!"
she repeated, and then the two battering-rams, revolving their fists
country-fashion, engaged. Half-forgotten Homeric phrases began to flit
from a faraway schoolroom back into the little teacher's mind and she
began to be consoled for the absence of gloves--those tough old ancients
had used gauges of iron and steel. The two boys were evenly matched.
After a few thundering body blows they grew wary, and when the round
closed their faces were unmarked, they had done each other no damage,
and Miss Holden was thrilled--it wasn't so bad after all. Each boy
grabbed his own towel and wiped the sweat off his own face.

"Git at it, Ham--git at it!" encouraged Pleasant, and Ham got at it.
He gave King a wallop on the jaw; King came back with a jolt on the
chin, and the two embraced untenderly.

"