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Mr Corse stood up and put his thin hand gently on Almanzo’s shoulder He turned him around and said:

“Go to your seat, Almanzo”

The roo boys ca and jostling one another The door banged open, and Big Bill Ritchie swaggered in The other big boys were behind him

Mr Corse looked at thehed in his face, and still he did not speak The big boys jostled Bill, and he jeered again at Mr Corse Then he led the loudly down the aisle to their seats

Mr Corse lifted the lid of his desk and dropped one hand out of sight behind the raised lid He said:

“Bill Ritchie, come up here”

Big Bill ju:

“Come on, boys!” He rushed up the aisle Almanzo felt sick inside; he didn’t want to watch, but he couldn’t help it

Mr Corse stepped away fro, thin, black streak hissed through the air

It was a blacksnake ox-whip fifteen feet long Mr Corse held the short handle, loaded with iron, that could kill an ox The thin, long lash coiled around Bill’s legs, and Mr Corse jerked Bill lurched and al the lash circled and stuck and coiled again, and again Mr Corse jerked

“Co Bill toward hi away

Bill could not reach hi, coiling and jerking, andBill almost off his feet Up and down they went in the open space in front of the desk The lash kept coiling and tripping Bill, Mr Corse kept running backward and striking

Bill’s trousers were cut through, his shirt was slashed, his ar fro, too fast to be seen Bill rushed, and the floor shook when the whiplash jerked hi and tried to reach the teacher’s chair, to throw it The lash jerked hied The lash kept on hissing, circling, jerking Bit by bit it jerked Bill to the door Mr Corse threw hi into the entry and sla quickly, he said:

“Now, John, come on up”

John was in the aisle, staring He whirled around and tried to get away, but Mr Corse took a quick step, caught him with the whiplash and jerked him forward