ed my lessons. He called me to the black-board and directed
me to demonstrate some problem in my lesson of Euclid. I went,
and, as I believed, had made the drawing and demonstrated the
problem. He said I had not, that I had failed to refer to a
corollary. I answered that he had not required this in previous
lessons. Some discussion arose, when, with the ferule in his hand,
he directed me to hold out mine. I did so, but as he struck my
right hand, I hit him with all the force I could command with my
left. This created great excitement in the school, all the students
being present, my brother Tecumseh among them. It was said at the
time that the boys were disposed to take sides with me, but I saw
no signs of it. The result was that I was expelled from the school,
but, by the intercession of my mother, and Mrs. Reese, after
explanations, I was restored, and during my two years with Mr. Howe
I had no other contention with him. He moved some years later to
Iowa, where he established another academy, and lived a long and
useful life. We had friendly correspondence with each other, but
neither alluded to our skirmish over a corollary in Euclid.

The pupils had the usual disposition among boys to play tricks on
each other. The academy was in a large square, the greater part
of which was an orchard of apple trees. Mr. Howe lived on the
corner of the square, some distance from the academy. The boys
were forbidden to climb the trees to shake down the fruit, but were
quite welcome to the fruit on the ground. One fall, when the apples
were ripe, the boys conspired to play a trick upon some of the
students and outsiders,--among them my brother Lampson, then on a
visit home from Cincinnati,--who were easily persuaded to rob the
orchard, none more willing than "Lamp." Those in the plot were to
watch and prevent interference. When the time came we had detailed
two or three boys in the academy to fire off muskets, well loaded
with powder and nothing else, when the signal was given. Everything
moved on according to programme. The boys detailed to shake down
the apples were in the trees, when, all at once, the firing of
musketry commenced. The boys dropped from the trees and scattered
in every direction. Some of them were caught in the pea vines of
Mr. Howe's garden, but most of them, with great labor, climbed over
the high fence around the ground and dropped on the outside "with
a thud," safe from powder! The dogs i