He must "lick" Abner Briggs, Junior, or abdicate.

So he determined to lick Abner Briggs, Junior.
"Come here, Sir!" he said; "you have insulted me and outraged the decency of the schoolroom often enough! Hold out your hand!" The young fellow grinned and held it out.

The master struck at it with his black ruler, with a will in the blow and a snapping of the eyes, as much as to say that he meant to make him smart this time.

The young fellow pulled his hand back as the ruler came down, and the master hit himself a vicious blow with it on the right knee.

There are things no man can stand.