e, and Pewee was trying to guess whether Mr. Williams's arm was
strong, and whether he "would make a fellow take off his coat" or not.

"Columbus," said the teacher, "you can take your seat."

Riley shook in his shoes, thinking that this certainly meant a whipping.
He began to frame excuses in his mind, by which to try to lighten his
punishment.

But the master did not take down his switches. He only talked. But such
a talk! He told the boys how worthless a man was who could not be
trusted, and how he had hoped for a school full of boys that could be
relied on. He thought there were some boys, at least--and this remark
struck Jack to the heart--that there were some boys in the school who
would rather be treated as gentlemen than beaten with ox-goads. But he
was now disappointed. All of them seemed equally willing to take
advantage of his desire to avoid whipping them; and all of them had
shown themselves _unfit to be trusted_.

Here he paused long enough to let the full weight of his censure enter
their minds. Then he began on a new tack. He had hoped that he might
have their friendship. He had thought that they cared a little for his
good opinion. But now they had betrayed him. All the town was looking to
see whether he would succeed in conducting his school without whipping.
A good many would be glad to see him fail. Today they would be saying
all over Greenbank that the new teacher couldn't manage his school. Then
he told the boys that while they were sitting on the trunk of the fallen
sycamore looking at the steam-boat race, one of the trustees, Mr.
Weathervane, had driven past and had seen them there. He had stopped to
complain to the master. "Now," said the master, "I have found how little
you care for me."

This was very sharp talk, and it made the boys angry. Particularly did
Jack resent any intimation that he was not to be trusted. But the new
master was excited and naturally spoke severely. Nor did he give the
boys a chance to explain at that time.

"You have been out of school," he said, "one hour and thirty-one
minutes. That is about equal to six fifteen-minute recesses--to the
morning and afternoon recesses for three days. I shall have to keep you
in at those six recesses to make up the time, and in addition, as a
punishment, I shall keep you in school half an hour after the usual time
of dismission, for three days."

Here Jack made a motion to speak.

"No," said the master, "I will not hear a word