“Didn’t I tell you he catched me foul?” demanded Tom, glaring at the urchin; “if I’d knowed what was coming things would have been different.”

“Dick and Fred knowed he was coming for them,” added Will, “for he walked clear across the schoolroom.”

“You’ve got too much to say,” retorted Dick Culver, angrily; “when we want your advice we’ll ask for it.”

“Well, boys, you had better make up your minds to behave yourselves and then there won’t be any trouble,” was the sensible advice of Jimmy Thompson, who had perched himself on a log, and was swinging his bare feet back and forth; “Mr. Lathrop is the best teacher we ever had and he suits the rest of us first rate.”

“Of course he suits all boys that ha’n’t any spirit,” was the crushing response of the leader, “but I’ve a plan that’ll teach him that me and Dick and Fred ain’t that kind of chaps.”

“How are you going to help yourself?”

After several mysterious hints and nods of the head, Tom revealed his stupendous scheme for bringing the teacher to terms.

“You know the big hornet’s nest over in Bear Hollow?”

Inasmuch as there wasn’t a boy in the crowd who hadn’t shied stones at the object named (always without hitting it), no further information was necessary.

“Well, I’m going to put that nest in the teacher’s desk, and when he comes in, takes his seat and raises the lid, won’t there be music?”

The scheme was so prodigious that for a full half minute all stared open mouthed at their leader without speaking.

“The teacher never locks his desk at noon, so it will be easy enough to slip it in before he gets back.”

“But when he opens the desk and the hornets sail out, what will become of us?” was the pertinent inquiry of Will Horton.

“Why the minute the things begin to swarm out I’ll yell, and we’ll all rush out doors.”

“Won’t the teacher do the same thing?”

“But he’ll be the last and he’ll catch it the worst.  He’ll be right among the critters, and they’ll just go for him, so his head will swell up like a bushel basket and we’ll have a week’s vacation.  By that time he’ll learn how to treat us fellers.”

“I am,” was the proud reply; “come on and I’ll show you.”

As he spoke, Tom sprang to his feet and started on a trot toward Bear Hollow, with the others streaming after him.

It cannot be denied that the youth displayed considerable pluck and coolness when he came to the test.  There hung the hornet’s nest from the lower limb of an oak, so near the ground that it could be easily reached by one of the larger boys.  It was gray in color and of enormous size.  It resembled in shape an overgrown football or watermelon, pendant by one end.  In some portions faint ridges were visible, like the prints left by tiny wavelets on the sand.  Near the base was a circular opening about as large as an old-fashioned penny.  This was the door of the hornets’ residence, through which all the occupants came and went.