“Just step round behind me, Henry, and you can see how I do this,” said Ralph.

Hank was entirely off his guard, and, with his eyes fixed upon the slate on the teacher’s desk, he sidled round upon the broad loose board misplaced by his own hand, and in an instant the other end of the board rose up in the middle of the school-room, almost striking Shocky in the face, while Henry Banta went down into the ice-cold water beneath the school-house.

“Why, Henry!” cried Ralph, jumping to his feet with well-feigned surprise.  “How did this happen?” him by the fire.

Betsey Short giggled.

Shocky was so tickled that he could hardly keep his seat.

The boys who were in the plot looked very serious indeed.

Ralph made some remarks by way of improving the occasion.  He spoke strongly of the utter meanness of the one who could play so heartless a trick on a schoolmate.  He said that it was as much thieving to get your fun at the expense of another as to steal his money.  And while he talked, all eyes were turned on Hank—­all except the eyes of Mirandy Means.  They looked simperingly at Ralph.  All the rest looked at Hank.  The fire had made his face very red.  Shocky noticed that.  Betsey Short noticed it, and giggled.  The master wound up with an appropriate quotation from Scripture.  He said that the person who displaced that board had better not be encouraged by the success—­he said success with a curious emphasis—­of the present experiment to attempt another trick of the kind.  For it was set down in the Bible that if a man dug a pit for the feet of another he would be very likely to fall in it himself.  Which made all the pupils look solemn, except Betsey Short, who giggled.  And Shocky wanted to.  And Mirandy cast an expiring look at Ralph.  And if the teacher was not love-sick, he certainly was sick of Mirandy’s love.

[Illustration:  HANK BANTA’S IMPROVED PLUNGE BATH]

When school was “let out,” Ralph gave Hank every caution that he could about taking cold, and even lent him his overcoat, very much against Hank’s will.  For Hank had obstinately refused to go home before the school was dismissed.

Then the master walked out in a quiet and subdued way to spend the noon recess in the woods, while Shocky watched his retreating footsteps with loving admiration.  And the pupils not in the secret canvassed the question of who moved the board.  Bill Means said he’d bet Hank did it, which set Betsey Short off in an uncontrollable giggle.  And Shocky listened innocently.

But that night Bud said slyly:  “Thunder and lightning! what a manager you air, Mr. Hartsook!” To which Ralph returned no reply except a friendly smile.  Muscle paid tribute to brains that time.

But Ralph had no time for exultation; for just here came the spelling-school.

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