The master caught the refractory youth by the collar and began shaking him, or rather shaking himself against him.
"Le' go o' that are coat, naow," said the fellow, "or I 'll make ye! 'T 'll take tew on yet' handle me, I tell ye, 'n' then ye caant dew it!"-- and the young pupil returned the master's attention by catching hold of his collar.
When it comes to that, the best man, not exactly in the moral sense, but rather in the material, and more especially the muscular point of view, is very apt to have the best of it, irrespectively of the merits of the case.

So it happened now.

The unfortunate schoolmaster found himself taking the measure of the sanded floor, amidst the general uproar of the school.

From that moment his ferule was broken, and the school-committee very soon had a vacancy to fill.
Master Pigeon, the successor of Master Weeks, was of better stature, but loosely put together, and slender-limbed.

A dreadfully nervous kind of man he was, walked on tiptoe, started at sudden noises, was distressed when he heard a whisper, had a quick, suspicious look, and was always saying, "Hush ?" and putting his hands to his ears.