enough left to see that he
could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play. The
spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his
constitution.
"'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the
Roman senate.
"When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr.
Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.
Mr. Greene chuckled, and shook his fat sides with suppressed mirth;
and it was plain the principal had a very doubtful ally in the person
of the deputy sheriff. And the ill-mated pair walked towards the
landing, where we saw them embark, and leave the shore.
"Mr. Parasyte has more pluck than I gave him credit for," said Bob
Hale, after we had silently watched the departure of the boat. "Isn't
it a pity a man who knows so much, and is such a good teacher, should
be a tyrant?"
"He is intellectually great and morally little," added the parson,
with a savor of the cloth he was destined to wear. "He has always been
politic, and we have felt his tyranny only in little things, which are
all the more mean because they are small. He is now fully roused; he
is too obstinate to back out, even when he knows and feels that he is
in the wrong; and now he will lay policy aside. I tell you, fellows,
you must make up your minds for a hard battle, for Mr. Parasyte is in
earnest. He will leave no stone unturned to reduce us to subjection;
and if I mistake not, 'breaking away' will prove to be no joke. If any
of the students feel like giving up, now is the best time to take the
back track, for the farther we go the deeper in the mire we shall be.
If there are any who are sick of their bargain, they had better say so
now."
"No!" "No!" "No!" shouted the boys, till the sound became a unanimous
voice.
"I see you are all of one mind," continued Vallington. "I deem it
right to tell you now that, in my opinion, Mr. Parasyte is no
contemptible foe to deal with. He will make a good deal of trouble, if
he does not cause much anxiety, perhaps suffering, in our ranks."
"What can he do?" asked one of the boys.
"I don't know. He hasn't told me what he intends to do, and probably
he will not," replied our chief, facetiously.
"Can't you guess?" asked another boy; and there seemed to be a general
desire to anticipate the terrible things the principal would attempt
in order to reduce the rebellious pupils to subjection.
"I am no Yankee, and I can't guess. I can mention several things he
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