"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