"And so you don't mean to sign this petition?" inquired Sam.
"Of course I don't," replied Nat. "If the lessons are not too long, there is no reason why I should petition to have them shorter."
"You can sign it for our sakes," pleaded Sam.
"Not if I think you had better study them as they are."
"Go to grass then," said Sam, becoming angry, "we can get along without a squash peddler, I'd have you know. You think you are of mighty consequence, and after you have killed a few more bugs perhaps you will be."
"I won't sign your petition," said Frank, touched to the quick by this abuse of Nat.
"Nor I," exclaimed Charlie Stone, another intimate associate of Nat's, and a good scholar too.
Nat was sensitive to ridicule when it proceeded from certain persons, but he did not care much for it when its author was Sam Drake, a boy whom every teacher found dull and troublesome. He replied, however, in a pleasant though sarcastic manner, addressing his remark to Frank and Charlie,
"Sam is so brilliant that he expects to get along without study. He will be governor yet."
Sam did not relish this thrust very much, but before he had a chance to reply, Frank added, "I suppose you will make a speech, Sam, when you present your petition." All laughed heartily at this point, and turned away, leaving Sam to bite his lips and cogitate.