DESTINY



  Instinctively Paul flinched and turned pallid. He
gazed about him like a trapped rabbit, but his brother
caught him roughly by the shoulder and wheeled him
toward the school-house.
  "But-Ham-but-" The younger brother's voice
faltered and again tears came to his eyes. "But I don't
b'lieve in fightin'. I think it's wicked."
  "Paul," announced the other relentlessly, "you're a
coward. Maybe it ain't exactly your fault, but one
thing's dead certain. There's just one kind of feller
that can't afford to run away-an' that's a coward,
like you. Everybody picks on a kid that's yeller.
You've got to have one good fight to save a lot of
others an' this is the day you're goin' to have it.
After school you've got to smash Jimmy Marquess a
wallop on his front teeth an' if you don't shake 'em
plumb loose I'm goin' to take you back in the woods
an' give you a revelation in lickin's that'll linger with
you for years." Ham paused and then added omi-
nously, "Now you can do just exactly as you like. I
don't want to try to influence you, but that Marquess
kid is your softest pickin'."
  Facing the dread consequences of such a dilemma,
Paul went slowly and falteringly forward with the un-
happy consciousness of his brother following warily at
his heels.
  "Come to think of it," suggested Ham casually,
"I guess you'd better write a note before we go in-
it seems a kind of shame to treat Jimmy like that with-
out givin' him any warnin'." He set the bucket in the
path and fumbled in his pocket for a scrap of paper.
"I'll just help you out," he volunteered graciously.
"Start with his name-like this 'James Marquess;
Sir-.'"



B