“I app’int Larkin Lanham and Jeems Buchanan fer captings,” said the Squire.  And the two young men thus named took a stick and tossed it from hand to hand to decide which should have the “first choice.”  One tossed the stick to the other, who held it fast just where he happened to catch it.  Then the first placed his hand above the second, and so the hands were alternately changed to the top.  The one who held the stick last without room for the other to take hold had gained the lot.  This was tried three times.  As Larkin held the stick twice out of three times, he had the choice.  He hesitated a moment.  Everybody looked toward tall Jim Phillips.  But Larkin was fond of a venture on unknown seas, and so he said, “I take the master,” while a buzz of surprise ran round the room, and the captain of the other side, as if afraid his opponent would withdraw the choice, retorted quickly, and with a little smack of exultation and defiance in his voice, “And I take Jeems Phillips.”

And soon all present, except a few of the old folks, found themselves ranged in opposing hosts, the poor spellers lagging in, with what grace they could, at the foot of the two divisions.  The Squire opened his spelling-book and began to give out the words to the two captains, who stood up and spelled against each other.  It was not long until Larkin spelled “really” with one l, and had to sit down in confusion, while a murmur of satisfaction ran through the ranks of the opposing forces.  His own side bit their lips.  The slender figure of the young teacher took the place of the fallen leader, and the excitement made the house very quiet.  Ralph dreaded the loss of prestige he would suffer if he should be easily spelled down.  And at the moment of rising he saw in the darkest corner the figure of a well-dressed young man sitting in the shadow.  Why should his evil genius haunt him?  But by a strong effort he turned his attention away from Dr. Small, and listened carefully to the words which the Squire did not pronounce very distinctly, spelling them with extreme deliberation.  This gave him an air of hesitation which disappointed those on his own side.  They wanted him to spell with a dashing assurance.  But he did not begin a word until he had mentally felt his way through it.  After ten minutes of spelling hard words Jeems Buchanan, the captain on the other side, spelled “atrocious” with an s instead of a c, and subsided, his first choice, Jeems Phillips, coming up against the teacher.  This brought the excitement to fever-heat.  For though Ralph was chosen first, it was entirely on trust, and most of the company were disappointed.  The champion who now stood up against the school-master was a famous speller.