"So you licked him well? That's right, boy. He won't do it again. If

he does, give it him, and teach him better. I don't like fighting till

you're obliged; but when you are obliged--hit hard's my motter, and

that's what you've done by him."

Of course I knew that that was what I had done by him, but I felt very

sorry all the same, for I knew I had hurt Shock a good deal, and I had

hurt myself; and somehow, as Ike went away chuckling and rubbing his big

hands down his sides, it seemed very cruel of him to laugh.

Everything seemed to have gone so wrong, and I was in such trouble, that

neither the sunshine nor the beauty of the apples gave me the least

satisfaction.

I kept on picking, expecting every moment that Shock would begin again,

and I kept a watchful eye upon him; but he threw no more lumps of earth

or apples, and only went on picking as quickly as he could, and I

noticed that he always had his face turned from me.

"I do nothing but offend people," I thought, as I worked away, and I

felt as sure as could be that this boy would contrive pitfalls for me

and play me tricks, making my life quite a burden. In fact, I became

very imaginative, as boys of my age often will, and instead of trying to

take things in the manly English spirit that should be the aim of every

lad, I grew more and more depressed.

Just when I was at my worst, and I was thinking what an unlucky boy I

was, I heard a sound, followed by another. The nearest representation

of the sounds are these--Quack--craunche.

"Why, he's eating apples," I said to myself, as I went down my ladder,

emptied my basket, and went up again.

Now some who read this will think it a strange thing, but, though I had

been busy all that morning handling beautiful little pippins, long,

rosy, and flat-topped, I had never even thought of tasting one.

Like fruit? I loved it; but I was so intent upon my work, so eager to

do it well, and I had had so much to think about, that it seemed to come

upon me like a surprise that the apples were good to eat.

Now that Shock had begun, and was crunching away famously as he worked,

I suddenly found that, though I was not so hot as I was after my

encounter, my mouth felt dry. I was very thirsty, and those apples

seemed to be the most tempting of any I had ever seen in my life.

But I would not touch one. I went higher up the ladder and picked; then

higher and higher till I was close to the top, holding on by the tall

stem of the tree picking some of the ripest apples I had yet gathered,

and swaying with a pleasant motion every time I reached here or there to

pick one at the end of a twig.




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