_) Bravo! Bravo! Spartacus. "They
do well to call _you_ chief!" number one in arithmetic, history, and
geography; and to-day I've no doubt we shall call you number one in
declamation.

_Ralph._ Ah, Charley, glad to see you. Are you all ready for the
contest?

_Charley._ Yes, Ralph. (_Declaims._)

"Again to the battle, Achaians;
Our hearts bid the tyrants defiance."

_Ralph._ I see "a foeman worthy of my steel." Well, Charley, good luck
to you.

_Charley._ The same to you. I believe we are about equally matched. I
want to take the highest mark, but if I am to be defeated, there's no
one to whom I'd sooner surrender the "victor's laurels" than to you.

_Ralph._ And I can heartily say the same of you; but we must both look
out. John Ray told the boys yesterday he was bound to have the highest
mark.

_Charley._ I don't fear him.

_Ralph._ But he's a good declaimer, Charley.

_Charley._ I'll acknowledge that; but you know he's a terrible fellow
for putting off study until the last moment. It was only yesterday
morning Master Jones decided to have declamation to-day. The only time
we had to prepare was yesterday noon, last night, and this morning.

_Ralph._ Time enough, Charley.

_Charley._ Certainly. But I know John Ray hasn't employed it.
Yesterday noon he went boating; last night I'm afraid he visited
Hopkins's melon patch; and this morning I saw him from my window
playing ball.

_Ralph._ Then we've not much to fear from him; but here he is, puffing
like a porpoise.

_Enter_ JOHN RAY, L., _with a book._

_John._ Hallo, boys! what's the time?

_Charley._ Eighteen minutes of nine. All ready for the declamation?

_John._ Not yet; there's time enough.

_Ralph._ Time enough! What have you selected?

_John._ "Tell's Address." I'm going to pitch into it now. I can do it
in eighteen minutes.

_Charley._ Why, you haven't left it till now?

_John._ Of course I have. Time enough, I tell you. I've got a
locomotive memory, you know. None of your slow coaches. I shall only
have to read it over two or three times.

_Ralph._ But why didn't you take it up before?

_John._ What's the use? I went boating yesterday; and last night I
went--somewhere else.

_Charley._ Yes! you took a _melon_choly walk. Hey, John?

_John._ What do you mean by that?

_Charley._ No matter. You'd better study Tell's Address, if you expect
to be ready by nine o'clock.

_John._ So I had. Well, you run along, and let me have th