ess
it'd of been a pretty long while if we'd had to wait for you to think of
something as good as that, Sam."

"Why would it?" Sam asked. "Why would it of been such a long while?"

"Oh," Penrod responded airily, "just for the main and simple reason!"

Sam could bear it no longer. "Oh, hush up!" he shouted.

Penrod was stung. "Do you mean ME?" he demanded.

"Yes, I do!" the goaded Sam replied.

"Did you tell ME to hush up?"

"Yes, I did!"

"I guess you don't know who you're talkin' to," Penrod said ominously.
"I guess I just better show you who you're talkin' to like that. I guess
you need a little sumpthing, for the main and simple--"

Sam uttered an uncontrollable howl and sprang upon Penrod, catching him
round the waist. Simultaneously with this impact, the wooden swords spun
through the air and were presently trodden underfoot as the two boys
wrestled to and fro.

Penrod was not altogether surprised by the onset of his friend. He had
been aware of Sam's increasing irritation (though neither boy could
have clearly stated its cause) and that very irritation produced a
corresponding emotion in the bosom of the irritator. Mentally, Penrod
was quite ready for the conflict--nay, he welcomed it--though, for the
first few moments, Sam had the physical advantage.

However, it is proper that a neat distinction be drawn here. This was
a conflict; but neither technically nor in the intention of the
contestants was it a fight. Penrod and Sam were both in a state of high
exasperation, and there was great bitterness; but no blows fell and no
tears. They strained, they wrenched, they twisted, and they panted and
muttered: "Oh, no, you don't!" "Oh, I guess I do!" "Oh, you will, will
you?" "You'll see what you get in about a minute!" "I guess you'll learn
some sense this time!"

Streaks and blotches began to appear upon the two faces, where colour
had been heightened by the ardent application of a cloth sleeve or
shoulder, while ankles and insteps were scraped and toes were trampled.
Turf and shrubberies suffered, also, as the struggle went on, until
finally the wrestlers pitched headlong into a young lilac bush, and came
to earth together, among its crushed and sprawling branches.

"OOCH!" and "WUF!" were the two exclamations which marked this episode,
and then, with no further comment, the struggle was energetically
continued upon a horizontal plane. Now Penrod was on top, now Sam; they
rolled, they squirmed, they su