It would be difficult to say which side worked theharder; for the boys went before school began tobuild up the barricade, and the girls stayed afterlessons were over to pull down the last one made inafternoon recess. They had their play-time first;and, while the boys waited inside, they heard theshouts of the girls, the banging of the wood, and thefinal crash, as the well-packed pile went down. Then,as the lassies came in, rosy, breathless, and triumphant,the lads rushed out to man the breach, and labor gallantlytill all was as tight as hard blows could make it.

 

　　So the battle raged, and bruised knuckles, splintersin fingers, torn clothes, and rubbed shoes, were theonly wounds received, while a great deal of fun washad out of the maltreated logs, and a lasting peacesecured between two of the boys.

 

　　When the party was safely over, Sam began to fallinto his old way of tormenting Ben by calling names,as it cost no exertion to invent trying speeches, andslyly utter them when most likely to annoy. Benbore it as well as he could; but fortune favored himat last, as it usually does the patient, and he was bleto make his own terms with his tormentor.

 

　　When the girls demolished the wood-pile, they performeda jubilee chorus on combs, and tin kettles,played like tambourines; the boys celebrated theirvictories with shrill whistles, and a drum accompanimentwith fists on the shed walls. Billy brought hisdrum, and this was such an addition that Sam huntedup an old one of his little brother's, in order that hemight join the drum corps. He had no sticks, however,and, casting about in his mind for a goodsubstitute for the genuine thing, bethought him ofbulrushes.

 

　　"Those will do first-rate, and there are lots in thema'sh, if I can only get 'em," he said to himself, andturned off from the road on his way home to get asupply.

 

　　Now, this marsh was a treacherous spot, and thetragic story was told of a cow who got in there andsank till nothing was visible but a pair of horns abovethe mud, which suffocated the unwary beast. For thisreason it was called "Cowslip Marsh," the wags said,though it was generally believed to be so named forthe yellow flowers which grew there in great profusionin the spring.

 

　　Sam had seen Ben hop nimbly from one tuft ofgrass to another when he went to gather cowslips forBetty, and the stout boy thought he could do thesame. Two or three heavy jumps landed him, notamong the bulrushes, as he had hoped, but in a poolof muddy water, where he sank up to his middle withalarming rapidity. Much scared, he tried to wade out,but could only flounder to a tussock of grass, andcling there, while he endeavored to kick his legs free.

 

　　He got them out, but struggled in vain to coil themup or to hoist his heavy body upon the very smallisland in this sea of mud. Down they splashedagain; and Sam gave a dismal groan as he thoughtof the leeches and water-snakes which might be lyingin wait below. Visions of the lost cow also flashedacross his agitated mind, and he gave a despairingshout very like a distracted "Moo!"Few people passed along the lane, and the sun wassetting, so the prospect of a night in the marsh nervedSam to make a frantic plunge toward the bulrushisland, which was nearer than the mainland, andlooked firmer than any tussock round him. But hefailed to reach this haven of rest, and was forced to stopat an old stump which stuck up, looking very like themoss-grown horns of the "dear departed." Roostinghere, Sarn began to shout for aid in every key possibleto the human voice. Such hoots and howls, whistlesand roars, never woke the echoes of the lonely marshbefore, or scared the portly frog who resided there incalm seclusion.

 

　　He hardly expected any reply but the astonishedCaw!" of the crow, who sat upon a fence watchinghim with gloomy interest; and when a cheerful"Hullo, there!" sounded from the lane, he was sograteful that tears of joy rolled down his fat cheeks.

 

　　"Come on! I'm in the ma'sh. Lend a hand andget me out! bawled Sam, anxiously waiting for hisdeliverer to appear, for he could only see a hat bobbingalong behind the hazel-bushes that fringed the lane.

 

　　Steps crashed through the bushes, and then overthe wall came an active figure, at the sight of whichSam was almost ready to dive out of sight, for, of allpossible boys, who should it be but Ben, the last personin the world whom he would like to have seehim in his present pitiful plight.

 

　　"Is it you, Sam? Well, you are in a nice fix!"and Ben's eyes began to twinkle with mischievousmerriment, as well they might, for Sam certainly wasa spectacle to convulse the soberest person. Perchedunsteadily on the gnarled stump, with his muddy legsdrawn up, his dismal face splashed with mud, and thewhole lower half of his body as black as if he hadbeen dipped in an inkstand, he presented such acomically doleful object that Ben danced about,laughing like a naughty will-o'-the-wisp who, havingled a traveller astray then fell to jeering at him.

 

　　"Stop that, or I'll knock your head off!" roaredSam, in a rage.

 

　　"Come on and do it; I give you leave," answeredBen, sparring away derisively as the other tottered onhis perch, and was forced to hold tight lest he shouldtumble off.

 

　　"Don't laugh, there 's a good chap, but fish me outsomehow, or I shall get my death sitting here all wetand cold," whined Sam, changing his tune, and feelingbitterly that Ben had the upper hand now.

 

　　Ben felt it also; and, though a very good-naturedboy, could not resist the temptation to enjoy thisadvantage for a moment at least.

 

　　"I won't laugh if I can help it; only you do lookso like a fat, speckled frog, I may not be able to holdin. I'll pull you out pretty soon; but first I'm goingto talk to you, Sam," said Ben, sobering down as hetook a seat on the little point of land nearest thestranded Samuel.

 

　　"Hurry up, then; I'm as stiff as a board now, andit's no fun sitting here on this knotty old thing,"growled Sam, with a discontented squirm.

 

　　"Dare say not, but 'it is good for you,' as you saywhen you rap me over the head. Look here, I'vegot you in a tight place, and I don't mean to helpyou a bit till you promise to let me alone. Nowthen!" and Ben's face grew stern with his rememberedwrongs as he grimly eyed his discomfited foe.

 

　　"I'll promise fast enough if you won't tell anyoneabout this," answered Sam, surveying himself and hissurroundings with great disgust.

 

　　"I shall do as I like about that.""Then I won't promise a thing! I'm not goingto have the whole school laughing at me," protestedSam, who hated to be ridiculed even more than Bendid.

 

　　"Very well; good-night!" and Ben walked offwith his hands in his pockets as coolly as if the bogwas Sam's favorite retreat.

 

　　"Hold on, don't be in such a hurry!" shouted Sam,seeing little hope of rescue if he let this chance go.

 

　　"All right! " and back came Ben, ready for furthernegotiations.

 

　　"I'll promise not to plague you, if you'll promisenot to tell on me. Is that what you want?""Now I come to think of it, there is one thingmore. I like to make a good bargain when I begin,"said Ben, with a shrewd air. " You must promise tokeep Mose quiet, too. He follows your lead, and ifyou tell him to stop it he will. If I was big enough,I'd make you hold your tongues. I ain't, so we'lltry this way.""Yes, Yes, I'll see to Mose. Now, bring on a rail,there's a good fellow. I've got a horrid cramp inmy legs," began Sam, thinking he had bought helpdearly, yet admiring Ben's cleverness in making themost of his chance.

 

　　Ben brought the rail, but, just as he was about tolay it from the main-land to the nearest tussock, hestopped, saying, with the naughty twinkle in his blackeyes again, "One more little thing must be settledfirst, and then I'll get you ashore. promise youwon't plague the girls either, 'specially Bab andBetty. You pull their hair, and they don't like it.""Don't neither! Wouldn't touch that Bab for adollar; she scratches and bites like a mad cat," wasSam's sulky reply.

 

　　"Glad of it; she can take care of herself. Bettycan't; and if you touch one of her pig-tails I'll upand tel............