ld not this lesson be valuable in after life?

"Oh! shucks!" lamented William, as he leaned on his war-club, and looked
as forlorn as one of his merry disposition ever could, "whatever did
they run away for? I wasn't half through, yet. Why, I don't believe I
got in more than three decent licks at all! It's a shame, that's what!"

Paul was shutting and fastening the door again. He did not wish to have
a volley of stones hurled through the opening by the vindictive boys
they had put to flight. Past experiences served to warn him as to what
measures of retribution Ted Slavin and his kind usually undertook.

"Whew! what a mess! We'll have to get brooms, and a sprinkler busy here,
so Peter won't complain," he said, laughing as he looked around.

"Hello! look there! Get next to the ghost, will you?" cried William,
pointing to a wretched and forlorn figure that was emerging from the
midst of the assembled ashes.

It was the fore-runner of the Slavin clan, the miserable Bud Jones. He
had been tumbled over so many times during the excitement, by both
friends and foes, that he must have lost all count.

"Oh! what a guy!" shrieked Bobolink, holding his sides with laughter, as
the disconsolate Bud trailed out from his place of concealment.

Covered from head to feet with ashes, and minus his hat, he certainly
presented a most comical appearance. But it was serious enough to Bud.
He judged others by what he knew of Ted Slavin's ways; and consequently
fully expected that Paul and his crowd would surely proceed to vent
their ill humor on his poor head.

"Oh! please let me go, Paul!" he whined, addressing himself to the one
he recognized as the leader of the opposition; "I've got all I deserve,
you see, and the worst is yet to come; for when my dad looks at this new
suit I'm in for the most dreadful lickin' you ever heard about. Don't
kick a feller when he's down, will you, Paul? Please open that door
again, an' let me scoot!"

He knew what he was doing in addressing himself to Paul Morrison.
Perhaps another, like William or Bobolink for instance, might think he
deserved even more severe handling, to pay him for his share in the mean
prank that had been nipped in the bud. But Paul had a reputation for
being fair, and was also known not to allow such a thing as a desire for
revenge to take root in his heart.

When Paul surveyed the forlorn figure before him, with a thought as to
what might await Bud at home, for he had a stern