amount added in, because you have----"

But here Jack placed his hand over Columbus's mouth.

"You can see through a pine door, Lummy, but you mustn't let out my
secret," he said.

But Jack had a boy's heart in him, and he longed for some more boy-like
amusement.

CHAPTER VI

A BATTLE

One morning, when Jack proposed to play a game of ball with the boys,
Riley and Pewee came up and entered the game, and objected.

"It isn't interesting to play with greenhorns," said Will. "If Jack
plays, little Christopher Columbus Andsoforth will want to play, too;
and then there'll be two babies to teach. I can't be always helping
babies. Let Jack play two-hole cat or Anthony-over with the little
fellows." To which answer Pewee assented, of course.

That day at noon Riley came to Jack, with a most gentle tone and winning
manner, and whiningly begged Jack to show him how to divide 770 by 14.

"It isn't interesting to show greenhorns," said Jack, mimicking Riley's
tone on the playground that morning. "If I show you, Pewee Rose will
want me to show him; then there'll be two babies to teach. I can't be
always helping babies. Go and play two-hole cat with the First-Reader
boys."

That afternoon, Mr. Ball had the satisfaction of using his new beech
switches on both Riley and Pewee, though indeed Pewee did not deserve to
be punished for not getting his lesson. It was Nature's doing that his
head, like a goat's, was made for butting and not for thinking.

But if he had to take whippings from the master and his father, he made
it a rule to get satisfaction out of somebody else. If Jack had helped
him he wouldn't have missed. If he had not missed his lesson badly, Mr.
Ball would not have whipped him. It would be inconvenient to whip Mr.
Ball in return, but Jack would be easy to manage, and as somebody must
be whipped, it fell to Jack's lot to take it.

King Pewee did not fall upon his victim at the school-house door; this
would have insured him another beating from the master. Nor did he
attack Jack while Bob Holliday was with him. Bob was big and strong--a
great fellow of sixteen. But after Jack had passed the gate of Bob's
house, and was walking on toward home alone, Pewee came out from behind
an alley fence, accompanied by Ben Berry and Will Riley.

"I'm going to settle with you now," said King Pewee, sidling up to Jack
like an angry bull-dog.

It was not a bright prospect for Jack, and he cast about him for a
chanc