Winning His Way | Page 9

now, but several degrees east of south. Then he turned
his compass so that the sights would point just the same number of
degrees to the east of north.
"Now, Mr. Pimpleberry," said Paul, "I want you to stand out there, and
hold your ten-foot pole just where I tell you, putting yourself in range
with the stake I drove first and the tree across the pond."
Mr. Pimpleberry did as he was desired.
"Drive a stake where your pole stands," said Paul.
Mr. Pimpleberry did so.
"Now measure the distance from the one you have just driven to my
first stake, and that will be the distance across the pond," said Paul.
"I don't believe it," said Mr. Pimpleberry.
"Paul is right," said Judge Adams. "I understand the principle. He has
done it correctly."
The Judge was proud of him. Mr. Pimpleberry and Mr. Funk, and
several other citizens, were astonished; for they had no idea that Paul
could do anything of the kind. Notwithstanding Paul had given the true
distance, he received no thanks from any one; yet he didn't care for that;
for he had shown Mr. Pimpleberry that he could do it, and that was

glory enough.
Paul loved fun as well as ever. Rare times he had at school. One windy
day, a little boy, when he entered the school-room, left the door open.
"Go back and shut the door," shouted Mr. Cipher, who was very
irritable that morning. Another boy entered, and left it open. Mr. Cipher
was angry, and spoke to the whole school: "Any one who comes in
to-day and does not shut the door will get a flogging. Now remember!"
Being very awkward in his manners, inefficient in government, and
shallow-brained and vain, he commanded very little respect from the
scholars.
"Boys, there is a chance for us to have a jolly time with Cipher," said
Paul at recess.
"What is it?" Hans Middlekauf asked, ready for fun of any sort. The
boys gathered round, for they knew that Paul was a capital hand in
inventing games.
"You remember what Cipher said about leaving the door open."
"Well, what of it?" Hans Middlekauf asked.
"Let every one of us show him that we can obey him. When he raps for
us to go in, I want you all to form in line. I'll lead off, go in and shut the
door; you follow next, Hans, and be sure and shut the door; you come
next, Philip; then Michael, and so on,--every one shutting the door. If
you don't, remember that Cipher has promised to flog you."
The boys saw through the joke, and laughed heartily. "Jingo, that is a
good one, Paul. Cipher will be as mad as a March hare. I'll make the
old door rattle," said Hans.
Rap--rap--rap--rap! went the master's ruler upon the window.
"Fall into line, boys," said Paul. They obeyed orders as if he were a
general. "Now remember, every one of you, to shut the door just as
soon as you are in. Do it quick, and take your seats. Don't laugh, but be

as sober as deacons." There was giggling in the ranks. "Silence!" said
Paul. The boys smoothed their faces. Paul opened the door, stepped in,
and shut it in an instant,--slam! Hans opened it,--slam! it went, with a
jar which made the windows rattle. Philip followed,--slam! Michael
next,--bang! it went, jarring the house.
"Let the door be open," said Cipher; but Michael was in his seat;
and--bang! again,--slam!--bang!--slam!--bang! it went.
"Let it be open, I say!" he roared, but the boys outside did not hear him,
and it kept going,--slam!--slam!--slam!--bang!--bang!--bang!--till the
fiftieth boy was in.
"You started that, sir," Cipher said, addressing Paul, for he had
discovered that Paul Parker loved fun, and was a leading spirit among
the boys.
"I obeyed your orders, sir," Paul replied ready to burst into a roar at the
success of his experiment.
"Did you not tell the boys to slam the door as hard as they could?"
"No, sir. I told them to remember what you had said, and that, if they
didn't shut the door, they would get a flogging."
"That is just what he said, Master," said Hans Middlekauf, brimming
over with fun. Cipher could not dispute it. He saw that they had
literally obeyed his orders, and that he had been outwitted. He did not
know what to do; and being weak and inefficient, did nothing.
Paul loved hunting and fishing; on Saturday afternoons he made the
woods ring with the crack of his grandfather's gun, bringing squirrels
from the tallest trees, and taking quails upon the wing. He was quick to
see, and swift to take aim. He was cool of nerve, and so steady of aim
that he rarely missed. It was