t he screwed his
courage to the sticking place, not by quoting to himself the adage,
"Faint heart never won fair lady," which, indeed, he had never heard,
but by reminding himself that "ef you don't resk notin' you'll never git
nothin'." So, when the spelling-school had adjourned, he sidled up to
her, and, looking dreadfully solemn and a little foolish, he said:

"Kin I see you safe home?"

And she, with a feeling that her uncle's life was in danger, and that
his salvation depended upon her resolution--she, with a feeling that she
was pronouncing sentence of death on her own great hope, answered
huskily:

"No, I thank you."

If she had only known that it was the red barn with the Indian on top
that was in danger, she would probably have let the galloping brave take
care of himself.

It seemed to Bud, as he walked home mortified, disgraced, disappointed,
hopeless, that all the world had gone down in a whirlpool of despair.

"Might a knowed it," he said to himself. "Of course, a smart gal like
Martha a'n't agoin' to take a big, blunderin' fool that can't spell in
two syllables. What's the use of tryin'? A Flat Cricker Is a Flat
Cricker. You can't make nothin' else of him, no more nor you can make a
Chiny hog into a Berkshire."

CHAPTER XXVII.

A LOSS AND A GAIN.

Dr. Small, silent, attentive, assiduous Dr. Small, set himself to work
to bind up the wounded heart of Bud Means, even as he had bound up his
broken arm. The flattery of his fine eyes, which looked at Bud's muscles
so admiringly, which gave attention to his lightest remark, was not lost
on the young Flat Creek Hercules. Outwardly at least Pete Jones showed
no inclination to revenge himself on Bud. Was it respect for muscle, or
was it the influence of Small? At any rate, the concentrated extract of
the resentment of Pete Jones and his clique was now ready to empty
itself upon the head of Hartsook. And Ralph found himself in his dire
extremity without even the support of Bud, whose good resolutions seemed
to give way all at once. There have been many men of culture and more
favorable surroundings who have thrown themselves away with less
provocation. As it was, Bud quit school, avoided Ralph, and seemed more
than ever under the influence of Dr. Small, besides becoming the
intimate of Walter Johnson, Small's student and Mrs. Matilda White's
son. They made a strange pair--Bud with his firm jaw and silent,
cautious manner, and Walter Johnson with h