The pageant grew under our hands until it assumed really respectable proportions. The girls and boys were wild about it and drilled tirelessly by the hour.
“I wish we had a better parade ground,” sighed Justice regretfully, squinting at the small level plot of ground in front of the schoolhouse that was worn bare of grass. “We haven’t room to make a really effective showing with our drill. If only the old schoolhouse wasn’t in the way we could use the space that’s behind it and on both sides of it.”
It was then that I had one of my old-time, wild inspirations. “Move the schoolhouse back,” I said calmly.
Justice shouted. “Why not roll up the road and set it down on the other side of field?” he suggested.
“I don’t see why we couldn’t move the schoolhouse back,” I repeated. “Why not, if it’s in the way? It’s no ornament, anyway.”
Half-amused, half-serious, Justice looked first at me and then at the little one-story shack that went by the name of schoolhouse.
“By Jove! we can do it!” he exclaimed suddenly. “It’ll be no trick at all. Just get her up on rollers and hitch Sandhelo to the pulley rope and let him wind her up. Just like that. An’ zay say ze French have no sense of ze delicasse!”
“What will the Board say?” I inquired, half fearfully.
“We won’t ask the Board,” replied Justice calmly. “Move first, ask for orders afterwards, that’s the way the great generals win battles. Remember how General Sherman cut the wires between him and Washington when he started out on his famous march to the sea, so that no short-sighted one could wire him to change his plans? Well, we’re out to make this pageant a success, and we aren’t going to risk it by stopping to ask too much permission. We’ll move the schoolhouse first and ask permission afterward. By that time it’ll be too late; the pageant is to-morrow.”
And we did move it. If you had ever seen us! It wasn’t such a job as you might think. I suppose the word “schoolhouse” conjures up in your mind the brick and granite pile that is Washington High—imagine moving that out of the way to make room for a military drill! ’Vantage number one for our school. We also have our points of superiority, it seems.