The Scalawags

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Chapter I

** Class in Green's grammar,'* the teacher called wearily, throwing back his sagging shoulders and expanding his chest with a deep sigh of utter fatigue.

It was mid-afternoon of a dreary January day. The skies were leaden ; the world was a snowy waste. The wind came straight from the west — ^whooping and romping in mad glee — cavorted across the high, bare ridge upon which stood the Norton schoolhouse, and, with an uncanny shriek and gurgle, went tumbling down a wooded ravine, toward the Muskingiun Valley, a mile away. Occasionally it seemed to grow lonesome and sorrowful — ^in the midst of its wild sport, even, and paused to whine and whimper around the crazy frame school building, rattling the rickety sash, trying the door, thrusting its fingers through

X every crack and cranny — as though courting companionship and seeking to shake hands with the hunched and shivering pupils within. But the two score or more of boys and girls were too dully miserable to give heed to anything but their own want of warmth and comfort, and offered no welcome to the boisterous and insistent visitor whose chill breath warned them of its uncharitable mission.

The big, barrel-like stove in the center of the floor spluttered and puffed and coughed, and glowed dull-red in an effort to dispel the unwonted frigidity; but all to little purpose. The best it could do was to divide the schoolroom world into two sharply marked zones — a tropical belt bounded by an encircling row of benches, upon which were perched the youngest pupils, their knees roasting, their elbows freezing, and a great, indefinable, unbounded space given over to polar cold and outer darkness.

I — as became the age and hardihood of a country lad of twelve — ^had a seat in the region of perpetual frost. My seat-mate was Link Lane — ^who had counted as many summers and winters come and go as had I ; and his freckled face, light-blue eyes, and refractory straw-colored hair — ^taken as a whole — served as a foil to my swarthy skin, hazel orbs, and locks of dark brown. We were close comrades, fast friends, sharing alike the work or mischief our busy brains found to do, and ' the consequent rewards or punishments. But to-day we sat in chill and unvoiced misery, apathetically doing little or nothing — too uncomfortable to study, too stupid to indulge in misbehavior. With hands in pockets, elbows bent and shoulders hunched, we stolidly stared about the room, idly observing the visible exhalations of our companions in discomfort, and hoping against hope that something would arise to break the monotonous routine of ill-prepared lessons and farcical recitations. If I chanced to nudge Link with my sharp elbow he gave an irritable grunt and moved away from me ; if he so far forgot himself as to whisper a word in my ear I pettishly shook my head — and made no further reply*

My seat was next a side window, and, when wearied to the point of endurance with the uninviting interior, I turned my attention to the dead and sheeted world without — ^to the snow-piled highway, the white fields, and the forest trees beyond lifting their lean, black arms in pitiful appeal to the sullen skies.

Ah, a diversion ! A man and dog were coming down the highroad. Their forms showed black against the background of general whiteness, yet loomed gaunt and indistinct through the clouds of flying snow particles that pelted the windows, crept and wriggled under the rattling sash, and joined in a dance of death upon the inner sill. I was peering through a breath-cleared space on the frosted pane.

^^Link! Link!" I whispered excitedly, giving him a vigorous nudge.

^^Stop!*' he muttered testily, flouncing to the far end of the seat,

**Sh!" I cautioned — the teacher was observing us — **look out of the window. Quick!'^

**0h, you shut up, Tad Perkins!'* he growled ungraciously.

But he bent his gaze in the direction I had indicated, and was at once all interest and attention.

We barely had time to note that the man was tall and slender, and that the small dog trotting at his heels was enveloped in some sort of cloak or blanket — an unheard-of thing ! — ^when the twain left the middle of the road and turned the comer of the building, approaching the door.

** Wander who he isf I whispered stridently, heedless of the teacher's keen ears.

'* Don't know," Link replied, in the same excited tone, hugging himself and grinning. *^Bet he's coming in, though, don't you?"

**TJh-huh!" I grunted, squirming with anticipatory delight at thought of the stir the advent of man and dog would occasion.

Several other pupils on our side of the room had become aware of the stranger's proximity, and now there was a great craning of necks and cocking of ears.

**I hear him scraping his feet on the stone step, ' ' Link announced gleefully.

I nodded, chuckling and shrugging my shoulders.

It was then that the teacher called : * * Class in Green's grammar."

And the scholars designated pushed from their seats and clumped over the bare floor to the recitation-bench.

Then came a knock at the door, and, of a sudden, all was breathless stillness within the room, followed immediately by the breezy murmur of stealthy whispering and smothered giggling. The teacher evinced his impatience and displeasure at the interruption by throwing down his book and frowning darkly; but he strode down the floor to answer the summons. He was a pale young man with a high and narrow white forehead and sunken chest, and he was aging prematurely under the strain of teaching an ungraded school with an average attendance of forty or fifty mischievous imps of both sexes and many ages.

Excitement and confusion grew apace* Every pupil turned in his seat to look. Some even got upon their knees to peer over the tops of intervening desks, and a few of the bolder left their accustomed places and stood in the middle of the floor, the better to see what might happen. With a stamp of the foot and a gesture of disapproval, the teacher turned the knob and threw open the door.

There stood the stranger upon the broad stone step, bowing and smiling ; and there sat his diminutive dog, holding up his fore paws and whining piteously.

We scholars looked and laughed, and the stranger continued to bow and smile.

**How d'you do!'* said the teacher, in mild confusion.

Still the stranger continued to smile affably ; but he made no verbal reply to the salutation he had received. However, he pointed to himself, to the whining dog, and then to the interior of the room, and fetched an expressive shiver, elevating his eyebrows in dumb yet eloquent questioning. It was easy to understand from his graphic pantomime that he was cold and that he desired to come in and warm by the fire. Mr. Wagner, the teacher, having in mind, no doubt, the disturbance that would arise on the stranger's entrance, decidedly shook his head and made a move to close the door. But the traveler instantly assumed so grieved and hurt an expression of countenance, sighed so lugubriously and shook his head so deprecatingly, that Mr. Wagner hesitated ; and the little dog whined and shivered so piteously and held up his fore paws so pleadingly that the young pedagogue was touched — and was won over from his purpose. He flung the door wide open and motioned them to enter.

At once the school was in an ecstasy of excitement and glee, of course. Each pupil had some observation to whisper to his seat-mate or neighbor, and the invariable reply was a half-suppressed titter — or an open snort of laughter. But to the unwonted stir caused by his advent the stranger appeared to be perfectly oblivious. He silently took the seat proffered him, extended his feet and hands toward the hot stove, and sat staring at the melting snow dripping from his well-worn shoes — a grotesque and huddled figure.

The teacher succeeded in restoring a semblance of order, and resumed the grammar lesson where he had left off.

Half-heartedly I strove to interest myself in the solution of problems for the morrow's arithmetic lesson, but so frequently my attention wandered to the interesting stranger and his dog^-so strangely, so strongly I seemed drawn toward the pair — ^that I made little progress with the task I had set myself.

The traveler, as I have hinted, was tall and slender, with long arms and round shoulders, and was about thirty-five years old, judging from his general appearance. He had a long, horse-like face, swarthy skin, merry and tender black eyes, and dark hair in which silver threads were beginning to show. His nose was prominent ; his mouth was wide ; his teeth were white and perfect. A perpetual smile flickered about his full lips ; and as he sat by the stove, gazing at the floor in apparent abstraction, he wallowed and rolled a quill toothpick from one corner of his mouth to the other — occasionally biting hard upc his big, firm teeth*

His dress was a frayed and shin black — the cutaway coat so overly 1 the narrow tails dangled to his knees, and trousers so scantily short that a expanse of rumpled shirt-front sho what should have been their place of n A narrow-brimmed, flat-crown derl cocked rakishly upon one side of his 1 pair of big, spongy-looking congress si the elastic exhausted and the tops exp to funnel shape — ^graced his extremities a soiled collar and nondescript dark tie pleted his attire. The tight sleeves of his were too short for his long aims, revet his bony wrists and accentuating the siz his large hands ; and the fringed bottom his abbreviated trouser-legs barely form junction with his ill-shapen footwear. T he was an imgainly and unsavory-loo fowl I Still, he had nothing of the siniste repellent about him.

A stout bag of green cloth — ^that, on hij trance, he carried over his shoulder on end of a knotty hickory cudgel — ^now rep upon the floor at his side. Time revealed it contained a wheezy accordion, a set of d tinker's tools^ and odds and ends pecnliar to the livelihood of strolling scalawags the world over.

The dog was as deserving of notice as was his master. He was a small, slim-limbed animal, black and tan in color, and possessed of an ugly smng face and a tight-curled tail. In fact his tail was curled so tight it had the appearance of lifting his hind quarters — causing him to walk upon the tips of his toes, and giving him a mincing gait that was unspeakably comic. Over his shoulders and back was buckled a cloak or blanket of marooncolored velvet, upon each side of which was worked in narrow gold braid the one word — *'Snip.''

For some reason, occult or otherwise, the stranger's thoughtful and silent presence stirred up in me a spirit of the perverse. I felt that I must do something mischievous — something devilish, to attract his atention. I would have him turn his eyes in my direction, even though he looked upon me with disfavor, and with disapproval of my actions. With this purpose in mind I began to talk to my seat-mate, in tones half audible to the farthest corners of the room.

**Link!Link!''Isaid.

THE SCALAWAGS II

* * Sh ! ' ' he cautioned. * * Don *t talk so loud ; the teacher 11 hear you.'*

''Sayl'^

He made no reply.

^^Say I'* I repeated louder than before.

*^ Wonder who he is, eh!*'

Link shook his head. He had an eye upon the teacher ; I had an eye upon the stranger.

^ ^ What do you s 'pose he 's got in that bag! ' '

Link gave another negative shake of his head ; and frowned, and jerked his thumb in the direction of the observant teacher. But the spirit of the perverse had full control of me ; and I went on recklessly :

^'Bet that face of his gives him pain.''

Link gave a hysterical giggle ; and instantly sobered.

**Look here. Tad!" he whispered, cautiously — ^not venturing to glance toward me. ** You shut up, now; you'll get us both licked."

But the spirit of the perverse would not down ; no matter what the consequence to myself and comrade, I was going to attract the man's attention. I felt that I simply mvrst arouse him from his apparent reverie — and make him look at me.

^ ' Link ! " I persisted.

No answer nor movement on the part of my seat-mate.

*'LinkI'' — ^louder than before.

An angry shrug of the shoulders; and a wicked look from his pale blue eyes.

* ' Link ! ' ' — so loud that all in our end of the room turned and stared in our direction. The stranger even, I fancied, changed his position ever so slightly — ^as if bending an ear to listen.

*^Link! How do you like the cut of his duds!''

Link snorted outright; then coughed and choked, and stared hard at his open geography — ^industriously working his lips, as though conning the pages before him.

The other scholars in our vicinity tittered ; and looked at us — ^then at the teacher.

''Thaddeus Perkins,'' Mr. Wagner said quietly but impressively, **you and Lincoln Lane had better get at your lessons."

And there was a world of hidden meaning in the mild admonition. The stranger stirred uneasily, slowly drew himself erect in his seat and turned and looked me full in the face — looked and continued to look until I blushed and dropped my eyes before his steady gaze. When I again ventured to peep at him — ^f rom under drawn brows and through half -closed lids — he had resumed his slouching attitude and was again staring hard at the floor.

I was pleased, elated — ^but not satisfied. I had made him look at me I But had I — or had the thing just happened? No matter I He had looked at me. And I would make him do it again; I would make the attempt, at least — at the intimate risk of a hiding. There was no reason in all this ; it was simply the spirit of the perverse working within me. I would do it because I ought not to do it I And I did!

*'Link!'' I remarked half-aloud. *^I'U bet that fellow isn't deaf and dumb.*'

Link set his teeth and sullenly shook his head. The stranger did not stir.

**I'll bet he isn't,'' I persisted.

My comrade kicked my shins, and gave me a sharp jab in the ribs with his elbow — ^his lips pouted, his brows contract>ed. At once I flew mad ; and pulled his hair and tweaked his nose. He retaliated by slapping my face ; and I went at him, tooth and claw. The next moment I was jerked out of my seat, by my coatcollar ; and a second later my cowhide boots were describing a series of circles in the atmosphere above the teacher's head.

"When the tornado of Mr. Wagner's wrath had subsided somewhat, and I had in a measure recovered my bearings, I found myself standing in the middle of the floor, trembling in every limb. The teacher was still viciously gripping my shoulders, his white face twitching, his eyes shining, his muscles quivering.

^*Thaddeus, say — ^you're sorry — ^for what you did,'* he panted, brokenly.

But tiie spirit of the perverse was not yet satisfied ; and I obstinately shook my head.

*'Say you^re sorry/' he repeated, giving me a shake.

**I won't 1*' I answered stubbornly. **I'm not sorry!''

I was telling the simple truth; I was not sorry. I had gained my point; the stranger was looking at me, a pained and pitying smile hovering about the comers of his wide and mobile mouth.

Again the teacher's anger rose; and again he shook me — ^until my teeth clicked together and my head wobbled dizzily, until my shoulders ached and my heart throbbed suffocatingly.

Then, of a sudden, he stopped and released me. I staggered against a desk; and looked up to see the stranger standing at Mr. Wagner's side, his hand upon the teacher's arm, shaking his head and smiling deprecatingly, apologetically. But in his black eyes was an expression of cool courage and fixed purpose.

Mr. Wagner's face flushed with shame or anger — or both, as his eyes met the stranger *s earnest gaze. The latter walked over to me, took me by the arm, went through the pantomime of switching me — ^and smiled and nodded approval; then he seized me by the shoulders and gently shook me — and frowned and grimaced his disapproval. I grinned, my schoolmates tittered, the teacher laughed sheepishly ; and the stranger patted me upon the shoulder, and dropped down upon the bench he had occupied — still placidly smiling and chewing his toothpick.

^'Thaddeus, you may take your seat,'* said Mr. Wagner.

Somewhat disheveled, but ridiculously happy — ^I could hardly have told why — ^I scrambled back into my accustomed place, my heart palpitating wildly, ecstatically.

Mr. Wagner dismissed the grammar class. Then he touched the stranger upon the shoulder and shouted in his ear: ^* You 're deaf and dumb, are you!''

How the teacher expected the man, if deaf and dumb; to hear or make answer was not clear to me ; and the act appealed to me as so illogical that I had to down my head and chuckle. Perhaps I was just a little hysterical at the time.

The stranger lifted his head, an expression of wondering and innocent inquiry upon his dark face. Mr. Wagner repeated his irrational question; and the man produced a small slate and pencil from the inside of his coat and extended the articles to the teacher, who took them and scribbled industriously for several seconds, finally returning them to their owner. The stranger read what the teacher had written, and grinned and nodded. Then he turned the slate over and made the short pencil fairly fly across the black and polished surface presented — the teacher patiently waiting at his side, the scholars breathless with expectant interest. When he had finished, the stranger arose and, with a sweeping bow, again handed the slate to Mr. Wagner. The latter read; and nodded approval. Turning to the school, he said — consulting the slate from time to time as he proceeded :

*' Scholars, this gentleman is deaf and dumb. He is traveling through the country, earning a living by tinkering clocks and doing odd jobs. Also, he plays upon an accordion and exhibits his trick dog — Snip. He says he is grateful to us for the kindness we have shown him in permitting him to come in and warm by our fire ; and he desires to show his gratitude by making some drawings upon the blackboard, playing you some music, and showing you the tricks of his dog.'' Then, returning the slate to the stranger who was alertly reading the faces around him — * * shall I give him the privilege he asks!''

* * Yes ! Yes, sir ! " came in chorus from all over the room — ^mingled with many chuck- Ungs and side remarks.

Mr. Wagner, by a wave of his hand, signalled his permission to the stranger ; and the watchful fellow slouched his way to the blackboard, his dog trotting mincingly at his heels.

First, with a few bold, sweeping strokes, he drew a scroll ; and wrote upon it, in beautiful shaded script: **Sim Hammer, Jolly Scalawag. ' ' Then he turned, bowing and smiling, in mock courtesy, and indicated himself by jerking a thumb toward his breast.

Of course we all laughed, divining from the man's manner that that was what was expected of us. The little dog appeared to join in our merriment; for he playfully scratched upon the floor, wiggled his curled tail, and capered about — ^barking joyously. The stranger, at this bit of odd behavior on the part of his dog, assumed a crestfallen and sorrowful air that was irresistibly funny ; and we clapped our hands and whooped our approval.

Next, the clownish fellow wrote with quick, jerky movements, just underneath his own name — ^while we hushed our voices and held our breaths : * * Snip, Surly Scalawag. ' '

And he tauntingly pointed a finger at the little animal at his feet.

We giggled — and waited expectantly. A marvelous change came over the diminutive dog. He rolled his eyes from his master's face to the writing upon the blackboard, and back to his master's face again. Then at once he was very, very angry, apparently. He wrinkled his smug features, exposed his white teeth, and snarled and barked furiously, prancing about stiff-legged.

And we scholars clapped our hands and slapped our thighs and roared — and roared again ; and Mr. Wagner joined in . our applause.

It is unnecessary to give a detailed account of all the interesting stranger — ^whoxn we regarded as a godsend, almost — did for our amusement and edification on that cold and snowy January afternoon. He drew pictures — caricatures of the different nationalities, comic sketches of birds and beasts, and beautiful flowers and vines and wreaths. His work was not highly artistic, perhaps ; but we were tolerant, charitable — and took it for what it meant, rather than for what it was. He caused his dog to perform many interesting and amusing tricks and to go through many difficult and surprising maneuvers — ^had him to beg, say his prayers, walk upon his fore paws, dance to the music of the accordion, and hunt secreted articles — directing him solely by means of grunts and gestures. Then, as a grand finale, he — the master, not the dog I — splayed a number of tunes upon his shabby old accordion : such tunes as ' ' Nellie Gray,'' ^^Down Upon the Suwanee River,'' and **My Old Kentucky Home." He played and played, until the melody of the sweet airs melted our souls and moistened our eyes — mine, at any rate.

I swallowed, and blinked back the tears that would come; and sighed a sigh of mingled pleasure and regret — of mingled joy and sorrow, when it was all over. I felt like one awaking from a trance; and it took the teacher's — ^^SchooPs dismissed'' — to bring me to a full sense of my surromidings.

I sprang from my seat, pulled on my cap, caught up my dinner-pail— all in a frenzied hurry — and closely tagged the fascinating stranger through the door — out into the great world of cutting cold and whirling whiteness.

Chapter II

Upon the school-ground, Link Lane ran up to me and whispered in my ear — skinning his teeth in a tantalizing grin :

^'Got licked, didn't yout"

**No, I didn't!'* I returned, defiantly.

**Ye8, you did ! "—dancing around me and gleefully pointing the finger of scorn at me— ''yes, you did! Yeah! Yeah!"

**I didn't, either!" I cried stoutly. **I just got shook. ' '

**It's all the same," he flaunted sneeringly.

'' 'Tisn't, either!"

'' 'Tis, tool"

ii »Tis!"

**Well, I didn't blubber, anyhow," I said boastingly.

''That's what you didn't, Tad!" his whole manner instantly changing ; frank admiration in his voice and eyes — ''any other fellow in the school would 'ave blubbered right out. I don't see how you stood it. But you always was gritty" — then, in a sudden and confidential undertone: — '*Say, Tad!"

^^Wellt'*

**I believe you're right — ^that fellow can hear as well as anybody.*'

* * What makes you think so f

* *I was watching him when you spoke to the teacher and said you wasn't sorry for what you 'd done ; and he had to bite his lips to keep from laughing right out* He heard you, all right."

^^Thinkso?"

*'Uh-huhI" — ^with great unction — '*you bet I think so."

*'S'pect he could tell what I was saying, from the motion of my mouth," I remarked sagely, after a moment's profound reflection; **I've heard of deaf and dumb people being able to do that."

^'That so?"

**W-e-ll, maybe he could" — then, excitedly — *^*look at him there now, gawking 'round. Wonder which way he means to go — ^up the road, or down t ' '

The stranger was standing in the middle of the highway — ^his green bag over his shoulder, his dog whining and shivering at his feet

— casting sweeping glances toward all paints of the compass. Several other boys had gathered around Link and me; and now we all huddled together and devoted our undivided attention to the man's odd behavior, passing remarks in low confidential tones.

*'He'll go on down the road, of course,'* I volunteered oracularly in answer to Link's question. **S*pect he's making for Babylon."

Babylon was a village three miles down the river valley.

*'Bet he is — ^that's just where he's going," seconded Pud Norton, vigorously nodding his head.

** Can't never tell 'bout such fellows," Gord Davis remarked arrogantly; *Hhey don't act like other people. They're cheats — all of 'em, always fooling folks. Wouldn't wonder this man was looking 'round for somebody's bam to burn, right now. ' '

* 'Stuff!" I snorted contemptuously, indignantly. *'Lots you know about such fellows, Gord Davis."

I did not like Gord ; he wore a paper collar and used scented hair oil, and considered himself quite a beau among the girls of the school. So it made me mad to hear him express an opinion on the subject; and I was up in arms at once, ready to champion the stranger's cause.

* * Beckon I know as much 'bout such things as you do," Gord grunted surlily. **And I say the fellow's a cheat; I'll bet he can hear and speak as well as any of us. I'm going to see if he can't, anyhow."

**How're you going to find out!" I asked quickly — angry at myself for the eagerness I felt to hear his reply.

**Yes, how?" inquired Link and several others in chorus. **How're you going to do it!"

** Just this way," Gord explained, swelling with complacent self-importance. **I'm going to hit his dog with this lump of coal ; and see if the fellow won 't turn 'round and say something when his dog howls J'

I was not squeamish, I was not overly sensitive or refined; in many of my habits and thoughts, in fact, I must have been more or less. of a little ruffian. But I had a few firm principles, a few fixed and rigid ideas of right and wrong. And I am sure I had nought of cruelty, nought of hypocrisy in my make-up ; and I would have blushed to act the coward, would have scorned to tell a lie to shield myself from merited punishment. Further than that my virtues did not extend, I fear. Be all that as it may, however, I now felt what I deemed a righteous indignation at thought of the contemplated act of uncalled-for cruelty to the stranger's unoffending dog; and my fingers tingled to get at Gord Davis's mealy face — to get into his greasy, scented hair. Perhaps the true reason of my rising ire wasn 't an offended sense of virtue, at all ; but was the unreasoning dislike I had for Gord Davis, the new-risen and unexplainable like I had for the uncouth stranger and his dog.

In answer to Gord's declared intention,- 1 cried hotly: *'You hit that dog, Gord Davis, and I'll ^I'U "

I sputtered, swallowed — and stopped, overcome by my own emotion.

**You'll whatf he returned sneeringly.

*'I'll— I'lUicAjyou!"

He was a year older than I and several inches taller; and he did not appear to be unduly impressed at my open declaration of hostilities. Indeed he bent down and leered in my face, flauntingly extruding his tongue. ^^You lick me/" he laughed tantalizingly. ^^You little whiffet! You just try it; and I'll slap you to sleep.''

** That's it, GordI'* cried several of the other boys — *' don't let Tad Perkins boss you 'round! — hit the dog; and we'll stand by you I — don't let Tad scare you I"

**I won't," Gord asserted stoutly.

But he hesitated, and looked abashed*

**Well, throw — ^throwl" they cried impatiently — *Hhe man '11 be going away pretty soon I — ^throw — right now I ' '

Gord shook his head, grinning a sickly grin.

* * Guess he is afraid of Tad, fellows, ' ' Link Lane sneered contemptuously.

** Guess he is," the others seconded.

** Guess I'm notl'^ Gord snarled angrily.

**Well, throw, then!" they shouted — **we won 't let Tad touch you I ' '

**I'll lick the last one of you!" I bellowed rashly, dancing about in my rage and excitement.

Our voices had risen until they could have been heard a hundred yards away; but the stranger, distant from us only a few feet, gave no heed to our tourmoil, made no manifestation that he was aware of our existence, even.