Cressy
  by　Bret　Harte
  CHAPTER　I。
  As　the　master　of　the　Indian　Spring　school　emerged　from　the　pine
  woods　into　the　little　clearing　before　the　schoolhouse；　he　stopped
  whistling；　put　his　hat　less　jauntily　on　his　head；　threw　away　some
  wild　flowers　he　had　gathered　on　his　way；　and　otherwise　assumed　the
  severe　demeanor　of　his　profession　and　his　mature　agewhich　was　at
  least　twenty。　　Not　that　he　usually　felt　this　an　assumption；　it　was
  a　firm　conviction　of　his　serious　nature　that　he　impressed　others；
  as　he　did　himself；　with　the　blended　austerity　and　ennui　of　deep　and
  exhausted　experience。
  The　building　which　was　assigned　to　him　and　his　flock　by　the　Board
  of　Education　of　Tuolumne　County；　California；　had　been　originally　a
  church。　　It　still　bore　a　faded　odor　of　sanctity；　mingled；　however；
  with　a　later　and　slightly　alcoholic　breath　of　political　discussion；
  the　result　of　its　weekly　occupation　under　the　authority　of　the
  Board　as　a　Tribune　for　the　enunciation　of　party　principles　and
  devotion　to　the　Liberties　of　the　People。　　There　were　a　few　dog…
  eared　hymn…books　on　the　teacher's　desk；　and　the　blackboard　but
  imperfectly　hid　an　impassioned　appeal　to　the　citizens　of　Indian
  Spring　to　〃Rally〃　for　Stebbins　as　Supervisor。　　The　master　had　been
  struck　with　the　size　of　the　black　type　in　which　this　placard　was
  printed；　and　with　a　shrewd　perception　of　its　value　to　the　round
  wandering　eyes　of　his　smaller　pupils；　allowed　it　to　remain　as　a
  pleasing　example　of　orthography。　　Unfortunately；　although
  subdivided　and　spelt　by　them　in　its　separate　letters　with　painful
  and　perfect　accuracy；　it　was　collectively　known　as　〃Wally；〃　and　its
  general　import　productive　of　vague　hilarity。
  Taking　a　large　key　from　his　pocket；　the　master　unlocked　the　door
  and　threw　it　open；　stepping　back　with　a　certain　precaution　begotten
  of　his　experience　in　once　finding　a　small　but　sociable　rattlesnake
  coiled　up　near　the　threshold。　　A　slight　disturbance　which　followed
  his　intrusion　showed　the　value　of　that　precaution；　and　the　fact
  that　the　room　had　been　already　used　for　various　private　and
  peaceful　gatherings　of　animated　nature。　　An　irregular　attendance　of
  yellow…birds　and　squirrels　dismissed　themselves　hurriedly　through
  the　broken　floor　and　windows；　but　a　golden　lizard；　stiffened
  suddenly　into　stony　fright　on　the　edge　of　an　open　arithmetic；
  touched　the　heart　of　the　master　so　strongly　by　its　resemblance　to
  some　kept…in　and　forgotten　scholar　who　had　succumbed　over　the　task
  he　could　not　accomplish；　that　he　was　seized　with　compunction。
  Recovering　himself；　and　re…establishing；　as　it　were；　the　decorous
  discipline　of　the　room　by　clapping　his　hands　and　saying　〃Sho！〃　he
  passed　up　the　narrow　aisle　of　benches；　replacing　the　forgotten
  arithmetic；　and　picking　up　from　the　desks　here　and　there　certain
  fragmentary　pieces　of　plaster　and　crumbling　wood　that　had　fallen
  from　the　ceiling；　as　if　this　grove　of　Academus　had　been　shedding
  its　leaves　overnight。　　When　he　reached　his　own　desk　he　lifted　the
  lid　and　remained　for　some　moments　motionless；　gazing　into　it。　　His
  apparent　meditation　however　was　simply　the　combined　reflection　of
  his　own　features　in　a　small　pocket…mirror　in　its　recesses　and　a
  perplexing　doubt　in　his　mind　whether　the　sacrifice　of　his　budding
  moustache　was　not　essential　to　the　professional　austerity　of　his
  countenance。　　But　he　was　presently　aware　of　the　sound　of　small
  voices；　light　cries；　and　brief　laughter　scattered　at　vague　and
  remote　distances　from　the　schoolhousenot　unlike　the　birds　and
  squirrels　he　had　just　dispossessed。　　He　recognized　by　these　signs
  that　it　was　nine　o'clock；　and　his　scholars　were　assembling。
  They　came　in　their　usual　desultory　fashionthe　fashion　of　country
  school…children　the　world　overirregularly；　spasmodically；　and
  always　as　if　accidentally；　a　few　hand…in…hand；　others　driven　ahead
  of　or　dropped　behind　their　elders；　some　in　straggling　groups　more
  or　less　coherent　and　at　times　only　connected　by　far…off　intermediate
  voices　scattered　on　a　space　of　half　a　mile；　but　never　quite　alone；
  always　preoccupied　by　something　else　than　the　actual　business　on
  hand；　appearing　suddenly　from　ditches；　behind　trunks；　and　between
  fence…rails；　cropping　up　in　unexpected　places　along　the　road　after
  vague　and　purposeless　detoursseemingly　going　anywhere　and
  everywhere　but　to　school！　　So　unlooked…for；　in　fact；　was　their　final
  arrival　that　the　master；　who　had　a　few　moments　before　failed　to
  descry　a　single　torn　straw　hat　or　ruined　sun…bonnet　above　his
  visible　horizon；　was　always　startled　to　find　them　suddenly　under　his
  windows；　as　if；　like　the　birds；　they　had　alighted　from　the　trees。
  Nor　was　their　moral　attitude　towards　their　duty　any　the　more　varied；
  they　always　arrived　as　if　tired　and　reluctant；　with　a　doubting
  sulkiness　that　perhaps　afterwards　beamed　into　a　charming　hypocrisy；
  but　invariably　temporizing　with　their　instincts　until　the　last
  moment；　and　only　relinquishing　possible　truancy　on　the　very
  threshold。　　Even　after　they　were　marshalled　on　their　usual　benches
  they　gazed　at　each　other　every　morning　with　a　perfectly　fresh
  astonishment　and　a　daily　recurring　enjoyment　of　some　hidden　joke　in
  this　tremendous　rencontre。
  It　had　been　the　habit　of　the　master　to　utilize　these　preliminary
  vagrancies　of　his　little　flock　by　inviting　them　on　assembling　to
  recount　any　interesting　incident　of　their　journey　hither；　or
  failing　this；　from　their　not　infrequent　shyness　in　expressing　what
  had　secretly　interested　them；　any　event　that　had　occurred　within
  their　knowledge　since　they　last　met。　　He　had　done　this；　partly　to
  give　them　time　to　recover　themselves　in　that　more　formal　atmosphere；
  and　partly；　I　fear；　because；　notwithstanding　his　conscientious
  gravity；　it　greatly　amused　him。　　It　also　diverted　them　from　their
  usual　round…eyed；　breathless　contemplation　of　himselfa　regular
  morning　inspection　which　generally　embraced　every　detail　of　his
  dress　and　appearance；　and　made　every　change　or　deviation　the　subject
  of　whispered　comment　or　stony　astonishment。　　He　knew　that　they　knew
  him　more　thoroughly　than　he　did　himself；　and　shrank　from　the
  intuitive　vision　of　these　small　clairvoyants。
  〃Well？〃　said　the　master　gravely。
  There　was　the　usual　interval　of　bashful　hesitation；　verging　on
  nervous　hilarity　or　hypocritical　attention。　　For　the　last　six
  months　this　question　by　the　master　had　been　invariably　received
  each　morning　as　a　veiled　pleasantry　which　might　lead　to　baleful
  information　or　conceal　some　query　out　of　the　dreadful　books　before
  him。　　Yet　this　very　element　of　danger　had　its　fascinations。　　Johnny
  Filgee；　a　small　boy；　blushed　violently；　and；　without　getting　up；
  began　hurriedly　in　a　high　key；　〃Tige　ith　got；〃　and　then　suddenly
  subsided　into　a　whisper。
  〃Speak　up；　Johnny；〃　said　the　master　encouragingly。
  〃Please；　sir；　it　ain't　anythin'　he's　seednor　any　real　news；〃　said
  Rupert　Filgee；　his　elder　brother；　rising　with　family　concern　and
  frowning　openly　upon　Johnny；　〃it's　jest　his　foolishness；　he　oughter
  be　licked。〃　　Finding　himself　unexpectedly　on　his　feet；　and
  apparently　at　the　end　of　a　long　speech；　he　colored　also；　and　then
  said　hurriedly；　〃Jimmy　SnyderHE　seed　suthin'。　　Ask　HIM！〃　and　sat
  downa　recognized　hero。
  Every　eye；　including　the　master's；　was　turned　on　Jimmy　Snyder。　　But
  that　youthful　observer；　instantly　diving　his　head　and　shoulders
  into　his　desk；　remained　there　gurgling　as　if　under　water。　　Two　or
  three　nearest　him　endeavored　with　some　struggling　to　bring　him　to
  an　intelligible　surface　again。　　The　master　waited　patiently。
  Johnny　Filgee　took　advantage　of　the　diversion　to　begin　again　in　a
  high　key；　〃Tige　ith　got　thix；〃　and　subsided。
  〃Come；　Jimmy；〃　said　the　master；　with　a　touch　of　peremptoriness。
  Thus　adjured；　Jimmy　Snyder　came　up　glowingly；　and　bristling　with
  full　stops　and　exclamation　points。　　〃Seed　a　black　b'ar　comin'　outer
  Daves'　woods；〃　he　said　excitedly。　　〃Nigh　to　me　ez　you　be。　　'N　big
  ez　a　hoss；　'n　snarlin'！　'n　snappin'！like　gosh！　　Kem　alongker
  clump　torords　me。　　Reckoned　he'd　skeer　me！　　Didn't　skeer　me　worth　a
  cent。　　I　heaved　a　rock　at　himI　did　now！〃　（in　defiance　of　murmurs
  of　derisive　comment）〃'n　he　slid。　　Ef　he'd　kem　up　furder　I'd　hev
  up　with　my　slate　and　swotted　him　over　the　snootbet　your　boots！〃
  The　master　here　thought　fit　to　interfere；　and　gravely　point　out
  that　the　habit　of　striking　bears　as　large　as　a　horse　with　a　school…
  slate　was　equally　dangerous　to　the　slate　（which　was　also　the
  property　of　Tuolumne　County）　and　to　the　striker；　and　that　the　verb
  〃to　swot〃　and　the　noun　substantive　〃snoot〃　were　likewise
  indefensible；　and　not　to　be　tolerated。　　Thus　admonished　Jimmy
  Snyder；　albeit　unshaken　in　his　faith　in　his　own　courage；　sat　down。
  A　slight　pause　ensued。　　The　youthful　Filgee；　taking　advantage　of
  it；　opened　in　a　higher　key；　〃Tige　ith〃but　the　master's　attention
  was　here　diverted　by　the　searching　eyes　of　Octavia　Dean；　a　girl　of
  eleven；　wh