PUNISHING A BULLY.
ABOUT an hour before the close of the afternoon school Phineas Morton
went up to the teacher’s desk and said: “I have a bad headache, Mr.
Howard. If you will excuse me, I would like to go home.”
“Certainly, Mr. Morton. Are you often troubled in that way?”
“About once a week. It affects me so that I cannot study while it
lasts.”
“You had better go. I hope you will soon recover.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Phineas went back to his seat, took a couple of books from his desk, and
went out of the schoolroom. Peter Groot exchanged looks with John Wall.
All had happened as he desired. Now he felt safe in precipitating a
conflict.
His first overt act was to drop his slate heavily on the floor. The
noise was such as to draw general attention. Walter looked up, but as he
had no evidence that the disturbance was intentional, he said nothing.
Five minutes later, Peter, having piled all his books near the edge of
his desk, gave them a push and they, too, dropped on the floor.
“Be a little more careful, Peter,” said Walter, mildly. “You are
disturbing the school.”
Peter mistook this mild tone for a confession of timidity, and it
emboldened him. He threw up his head, and, leaning back in his seat,
stared insolently at the young teacher, as much to say: “What are you
going to do about it?”
“It’s coming,” thought Walter. “Well, it’s just as well now as at any
other time.”
“Peter, will you pick up your books?” he said, calmly.
Peter made no motion to obey, but sat still, staring insolently at the
teacher.
“Didn’t you hear me?” said Walter.
“Yes,” said Peter, “I heard you.”
“Then why don’t you obey me?”
“I will pick them up when I get ready,” said Peter, impudently.
Walter found it difficult to restrain his temper at this open insolence,
but he succeeded by an effort.
“You appear to forget that I am the teacher of this school, and you are
my scholar,” said Walter.
“You are a boy like me,” said Peter. “I ain’t goin’ to be ordered round
by a boy no older than I am.”
“I am aware,” said Walter, quietly, “that I am only a boy, and that some
of my pupils, probably yourself, are older than I am. But that does not
alter the fact that I am your teacher. The trustees knew my age when
they appointed me teacher. They placed me here not only to teach, but to
keep good order. I have had no trouble thus far with any one but you.
What is your object in making trouble?”
“I ain’t goin’ to be ordered round by a boy,” said Peter.
“I don’t intend to do any ordering, except what is absolutely necessary.
But I intend to keep order,” said Walter, firmly. “You can continue to
attend school, and I will do my best to advance you in your studies, or
you can leave it, if you are unwilling to be orderly. Take your choice.”
“I am comin’ to school,” said Peter, “and I will behave as I have a mind
to.”
“Not if I can prevent it,” said Walter, resolutely, his eyes flashing
with anger.
“What are you goin’ to do about it?” demanded Peter, insolently.
“Come out on the floor if you would like to be informed.”
“I shall stay where I am,” said Peter, defiantly.
“I have no objection, but you must keep order.”
Peter’s answer to this was to throw his slate on the floor.
Walter felt that the time for forbearance was past. If he suffered this
insolence to go unpunished his authority in the school was overthrown.
In that case he might as well retire at once. Moral suasion was thrown
away upon Peter Groot. He must understand what was meant by physical
suasion.
“Scholars,” said Walter, “I am sorry for what is about to happen, but I
call you to witness that it has been forced upon me.”
He walked up to Peter’s desk, eying him in a quiet, determined manner.
“You have defied my authority,” he said, “and insulted me before the
rest of the scholars. You believe me to be unable to enforce my orders.
Come out on the floor and I will convince you to the contrary.”
“I am comfortable where I am,” said Peter, glancing about him
triumphantly.
“Then, as you don’t accept my offer, I must force it upon you.”
Walter, who now stood beside Peter’s desk, seized him suddenly by the
collar, and by a quick movement, jerked him into the aisle between the
desks. Peter had not anticipated this. He was astonished and indignant
beyond measure. The smile of triumph faded from his face, and his
features were distorted with rage.
“You’ll be sorry for this!” he screamed, adding an oath, which is better
omitted. “I’ll pay you up for it.”
He knew how to fight after his style, and prepared to “pitch in” in his
customary manner. Walter had drawn back a little, so as to be clear of
the desks, and Peter followed him up. He aimed a blow at the young
teacher’s head, which would have been likely to give him a headache, but
Walter had assumed an attitude of defence, and fended it off with the
greatest ease. Peter quickly followed up the blow by another quite as
vigorous. But this again was warded off. Walter did not immediately act
offensively. He wished before doing so to show Peter that his own
efforts were futile. In proportion as Peter discovered the ill success
of his attempts to hit his opponent, his rage became more ungovernable,
and he began to curse and swear. At length, when he felt it to be time,
Walter retaliated. One swift, well-planted blow, which Peter was utterly
unable to ward off, and the troublesome pupil found himself lying upon
his back on the floor of the schoolroom.
Walter remained standing, a little flushed, but otherwise calm, and made
no attempt to prevent Peter’s rising. Peter was not a hero, but he was
not altogether without pluck, and he was up again quickly and ready to
renew the contest.
Walter held himself in readiness, but did not speak. He wished this to
be a decisive battle. “I will give Peter all the chance he wants,” he
said to himself. “He must find out once for all that I am more than his
match, and then he will cease to trouble me.”
Peter pitched in again, but he was unable to profit by the lessons he
had learned. He saw that the teacher was more scientific than himself,
but feeling that in strength he was quite his equal, he did not
understand why he could not match him. He tried to grasp Walter around
the waist, which would, of course, have given him a decided advantage,
and neutralized Walter’s superior science, but our hero was too wary for
this. Taking advantage of Peter’s unguarded state, he planted another
heavy blow, which, like the first, prostrated his opponent.
The scholars looked on with intense interest. Not one except John Wall
sympathized with Peter. Not one was sorry to see the insolent boy
receiving his deserts. Some of the better class had feared that the new
teacher would prove unequal to the encounter, but a very short time
undeceived them. When Peter went down a second time there was a stamping
of feet, intended as applause.
“Be kind enough not to applaud,” said Walter, turning to them. “I am
glad your sympathies are with me, but I hope you will not mortify your
schoolfellow, who, I hope, will some time be ashamed of the course which
he is now taking.”
This manly request raised Walter still higher in the opinion of his
pupils. They saw that he had no desire to triumph over Peter; that he
was only influenced by the desire to maintain his authority. When Peter
had renewed the contest, and again been thrown, Walter addressed him
calmly: “If you wish to keep on, Peter, I will accommodate you, but you
must know by this time that you stand no chance of success. I know
something of boxing, and it is clear that you do not.”
“I’m as strong as you are,” growled Peter.
“You may be, but you don’t know how to use your strength. Suppose we
stop here, and forget all that has happened. I shall bear you no grudge,
and shall only expect the same of you that I do from the other
scholars.”
“That’s fair, Peter,” said half a dozen boys from their seats.
Peter did not answer, but on the other hand he did not offer to renew
the contest. He rose and walked quietly to his desk, and seated himself,
with his opinions of the “master’s” prowess decidedly revolutionized.
Walter walked back to the teacher’s desk, and quietly called the next
class. He might have felt a little excited by the conflict in which he
had just been engaged, but, if so, he did not betray it in his manner.
He was very glad that the ordeal was over, and that his efforts were
crowned with success. He had known boys like Peter before, and he felt
confident that he should have no more trouble with him. He made up his
mind neither by look nor word to remind Peter of his defeat, but to do
all he could to spare him humiliation. He wanted, if possible, to
convert him from an enemy to a friend.
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