chamber. "I believe
you're a coward, Nathan Badger. I'll go upstairs myself and see if I
can't succeed better than you did."

"You'd better not, wife."

"Oh, don't go, ma!" said Andrew Jackson, pale with terror.

"I'm going!" said the intrepid woman. "It shan't be said of me that I'm
afraid of a little bound boy who's as weak as a rat."

"You'll find out how weak he is," said Mr. Badger. "I warn you not to
go."

"I'm goin', all the same," said Mrs. Badger. "You'll see how I'll tame
him down. Give me the stick."

"Then go if you're so plaguy obstinate," said her husband, and it must
be confessed that he rather hoped his wife, who had ventured to ridicule
him, might herself meet with a reception that would make her change her
tune somewhat.

Mrs. Badger, stick in hand, marched up to the door of the attic and
called out boldly:

"Open the door, you young villain!"

"How does she know I'm young?" thought Tom Tapley, who was on guard in
the room. "Well, now, if she wasn't such an old woman I should feel
flattered. I guess I'll have to scare her a little. It wouldn't be
polite to tumble her downstairs as I did her husband."

"Have you gone crazy?" demanded Mrs. Badger behind the door.

"Not that I know of," muttered the tramp.

"Perhaps you think you can manage me as well as Mr. Badger?" she
continued.

"I should smile if I couldn't," commented Tom Tapley. "That woman must
think she's extra strong to be a match for me!"

"I'm coming in to whip you till you cry for mercy!"

"Really, she's a pretty spunky old woman!" thought the tramp. "If I
can't hold my own against her, I'll sell myself for old rags!"

Mrs. Badger pushed open the door, saw dimly the outline of the tramp and
struck at it with the stick.

But alas! the stick was wrenched from her hand, a pistol, loaded only
with powder, was discharged, and the intrepid lady, in a panic, flew out
of the room and downstairs, tumbling into her husband's arms.

Nathan Badger was delighted at his wife's discomfiture. She couldn't
taunt him any longer.

"I told you so!" he chuckled. "How do you like tacklin' him yourself, my
dear? Wouldn't you like to try it again? Ho! ho!"

"Mr. Badger, you're a fool!" exclaimed his wife sharply.

"It strikes me you're a little in that way yourself, Mrs. Badger. Did
you give him a floggin'? Ho, ho! you were in a great hurry to come
away!"

"Mr. Badger, he fired at me with a pistol. I tell you he's a dangerous
boy to hav