as for the sake of politeness, Philip
replied, "Polite's a lick-spittle,--I don't aim to be polite,--I don't
_have_ to,--I'm able to get what I want without it!"

This last is only too true. "For they shall take who have the power, and
they shall keep who can," is the creed of all, but more especially of
Philip. This noon, when Iry's father had sent him from Rakeshin a fine,
yellow, mellow apple, and the "pure scholar" was eating it as frugally
and lingeringly as possible, Philip, came along, snatched it, bit off
three-fourths, and coolly handed back the fragment to Iry, who, howling
dismally, still had no redress.

"To think you could do such a base thing!" I exclaimed,--"Rob a little
boy who cannot defend himself. You ought to be everlastingly ashamed!"

"I was behind the door when shame passed by," replied the robber,
flippantly.

"You were indeed," I agreed; "I would not believe that a boy named
Philip Sidney could be guilty of such a thing." Then I told him the
story of the great Sir Philip, mortally wounded, fevered and athirst,
handing the cup of water to the dying soldier beside him, with the
words, "Your need is greater than mine."

He pondered a moment, then remarked, "No man'd be such a fool,--I bet
it's just a slander they made up on him!"

I told him he should lose three days' playtime for his rapacity.

_Sunday Night._

Last night the Trojan War reached a climax in the death of Horse-Taming
Hector, amid shouts of joy from Killis, and howls of fury from Nucky. I
have seen for two weeks that considerable feeling has developed between
the two on the subject, intensifying the natural jealousy each has of
the prowess and reputation of the other.

This morning I had left the boys at the big house to help with the
breakfast dishes--the regular Sunday proceeding--and was standing in the
back cottage door drinking in the beauty of the morning and the Sabbath
peace of the hills, when savage yells smote my ears. Following the
sound, I ran to the school-yard. When I arrived, Nucky had just buried
his teeth in Killis's arm, from which the blood was spurting, while
Killis was striking out fiercely with his knife. Around the combatants
the other boys formed a delighted, cheering circle, within which Philip
danced madly about, shouting,

Fight, dogs, you haint no kin,
'F you kill one another, taint no sin!

In another second, Nucky had abandoned the hold with his teeth, and was
flashing his ow