"But it'll be such a good joke, Obed."
"I don't care so much about jokes as I did when I was your age, Harry. I used to be a great feller for jokes when I was along in my teens. Did I ever tell you the joke I played on the schoolmaster?
"Well, I was attendin' the district school the winter I was sixteen, and I expect I was rather troublesome, though there wasn't anything downright bad about me. But I remember one day when I stuck a bent pin in the chair the master usually sot in, and I shan't forget till my dyin' day how quick he riz up when he sot down on it."
Obed chuckled at the recollection, and so did the boys. Their sympathies ought to have been with the schoolmaster, but I am sorry to say that did not prevent their enjoying the joke.
"Were you found out?" asked Jack.
"Not exactly, but I think the master always suspected me. At any rate he was always cuffin' me and pullin' my hair. I didn't mind the fust so much as the last. So one day I got my mother to cut my hair close to my head. When I went to school the master gave me a queer look. He knew what made me have my hair cut. The next time I got into mischief he called me up, and instead of pullin' my hair he pulled my ears till I hollered. 'Now go home and get your ears cut off,' he said, but I didn't."
"It seems to me the joke was on you that time, Obed."
"I've surmised as much myself," said Obed, laughing quietly. "But I'm tired, boys, and I believe I shall have to go off to sleep, nugget or no nugget."
"All right! Good-night, Obed."
"Good-night, boys."