to　be　prefaced　by　stigma；　recrimination；　epithet；　abuse
  and　insult　gradually　increasing　in　emphasis　and　degree。
  After　a　round　of　these　〃you're　anothers〃　would　come　the
  chip　knocked　from　the　shoulder；　or　the　advance　across
  the　〃dare〃　line　drawn　with　a　toe　on　the　ground。　　Next
  light　taps　given　and　taken；　these　also　increasing　in　force
  until　finally　the　blood　was　up　and　fists　going　at　their　best。
  But　Haywood　did　not　know　Fishampton's　rules。
  Noblesse　oblige　kept　a　faint　smile　on　his　face　as　he　walked
  slowly　up　to　〃Smoky〃　and　said：
  〃Going　to　play　ball？〃
  〃Smoky〃　quickly　understood　this　to　be　a　putting
  of　the　previous　question；　giving　him　the　chance　to　make
  practical　apology　by　answering　it　with　civility　and
  relevance。
  〃Listen　this　time；'　said　he。　　〃I'm　goin'　skatin'　on
  the　river。　　Don't　you　see　me　automobile　with　Chinese
  lanterns　on　it　standin'　and　waitin'　for　me？〃
  Haywood　knocked　him　down。
  〃Smoky〃　felt　wronged。　　To　thus　deprive　him　of
  preliminary　wrangle　and　objurgation　was　to　send　an
  armoured　knight　full　tilt　against　a　crashing　lance　without
  permitting　him　first　to　caracole　around　the　list　to　the
  flourish　of　trumpets。　　But　he　scrambled　up　and　fell　upon
  his　foe；　head；　feet　and　fists。
  The　fight　lasted　one　round　of　an　hour　and　ten　minutes。
  It　was　lengthened　until　it　was　more　like　a　war　or　a　family
  feud　than　a　fight。　　Haywood　had　learned　some　of　the
  science　of　boxing　and　wrestling　from　his　tutors；　but　these
  he　discarded　for　the　more　instinctive　methods　of　battle
  handed　down　by　the　cave…dwelling　Van　Plushvelts。
  So；　when　he　found　himself；　during　the　m阬閑；　seated
  upon　the　kicking　and　roaring　〃Smoky's〃　chest；　he
  improved　the　opportunity　by　vigorously　kneading　hand…
  fuls　of　sand　and　soil　into　his　adversary's　ears；　eyes　and
  mouth；　and　when　〃Smoky〃　got　the　proper　leg　hold　and
  〃turned〃　him；　he　fastened　both　hands　in　the　Plushvelt
  hair　and　pounded　the　Plushvelt　head　against　the　lap　of
  mother　earth。　　Of　course；　the　strife　was　not　incessantly
  active。　　There　were　seasons　when　one　sat　upon　the　other；
  holding　him　down；　while　each　blew　like　a　grampus；　spat
  out　the　more　inconveniently　large　sections　of　gravel　and
  and　strove　to　subdue　the　spirit　of　his　opponent
  with　a　frightful　and　soul…paralyzing　glare。
  At　last；　it　seemed　that　in　the　language　of　the　ring；　their
  efforts　lacked　steam。　　They　broke　away；　and　each
  disappeared　in　a　cloud　as　he　brushed　away　the　dust　of
  the　conflict。　　As　soon　as　his　breath　permitted；　Haywood
  walked　close　to　〃Smoky〃　and　said：
  〃Going　to　play　ball？〃
  〃Smoky〃　looked　pensively　at　the　sky；　at　his　bat　lying
  on　the　ground；　and　at　the　〃leaguer〃　rounding　his　pocket。
  〃Sure；〃　he　said；　offhandedly。　　〃The　'Yellowjackets'〃
  plays　the　'Long　Islands。'　I'm　cap'n　of　the　'Long
  Islands。'
  〃I　guess　I　didn't　mean　to　say　you　were　ragged；〃　said
  Haywood。　　〃But　you　are　dirty；　you　know。〃
  〃Sure；〃　said　〃Smoky。〃　　〃Yer　get　that　way　knockin'
  around。　　Say；　I　don't　believe　them　New　York　papers
  about　ladies　drinkin'　and　havin'　monkeys　dinin'　at　the
  table　with　'em。　　I　guess　they're　lies；　like　they　print
  about　people　eatin'　out　of　silver　plates；　and　ownin'　dogs
  that　cost　100。〃
  〃Certainly；〃　said　Haywood。　　〃What　do　you　play　on
  your　team？〃
  〃Ketcher。　　Ever　play　any？〃
  〃Never　in　my　life；〃　said　Haywood。　　〃I've　never　known
  any　fellows　except　one　or　two　of　my　cousins。〃
  〃Jer　like　to　learn？　　We're　goin'　to　have　a　practice…
  game　before　the　match。　　Wanter　come　along？　　I'll　put
  yer　in　left…field；　and　yer　won't　be　long　ketchin'　on。〃
  〃I'd　like　it　bully；〃　said　Haywood。　　〃I've　alway…
  wanted　to　play　baseball。〃
  The　ladies'　maids　of　New　York　and　the　families　of
  Western　mine　owners　with　social　ambitions　will　remember
  well　the　sensation　that　was　created　by　the　report　that　the
  young　multi…millionaire；　Haywood　Van　Plushvelt；　was
  playing　ball　with　the　village　youths　of　Fishampton。　　It
  was　conceded　that　the　millennium　of　democracy　had
  come。　　Reporters　and　photographers　swarmed　to　the
  island。　　The　papers　printed　half…page　pictures　of　him
  as　short…stop　stopping　a　hot　grounder。　　The　Toadies'
  Magazine　got　out　a　Bat　and　Ball　number　that　covered
  the　subject　historically；　beginning　with　the　vampire　bat
  and　ending　with　the　Patriarchs'　ball　　illustrated　with
  interior　views　of　the　Van　Plushvelt　country　seat。
  Ministers；　educators　and　sociologists　everywhere　hailed
  the　event　as　the　tocsin　call　that　proclaimed　the　universal
  brotherhood　of　man。
  One　afternoon　I　was　reclining　under　the　trees　near
  the　shore　at　Fishampton　in　the　esteemed　company　of
  an　eminent；　bald…headed　young　sociologist。　　By　way
  of　note　it　may　be　inserted　that　all　sociologists　are　more
  or　less　bald；　and　exactly　thirty…two。　　Look　'em　over。
  The　sociologist　was　citing　the　Van　Plushvelt　case　as
  the　most　important　〃uplift〃　symptom　of　a　generation；
  and　as　an　excuse　for　his　own　existence。
  Immediately　before　us　were　the　village　baseball　grounds。
  And　now　came　the　sportive　youth　of　Fishampton　and
  distributed　themselves；　shouting；　about　the　diamond。
  〃There；〃　said　the　sociologist；　pointing；　〃there　is　young
  Van　Plushvelt。〃
  I　raised　myself　（so　far　a　cosycophant　with　Mary　Ann）
  and　gazed。
  Young　Van　Plushvelt　sat　upon　the　ground。　　He　was
  dressed　in　a　ragged　red　sweater；　wrecked　and　weather…
  worn　golf　cap；　run…over　shoes；　and　trousers　of　the　〃ser…
  viceable〃　brand。　　Dust　clinging　to　the　moisture　induced　by
  free　exercise；　darkened　wide　areas　of　his　face。
  〃That　is　he；〃　repeated　the　sociologist。　　If　he　had　said
  〃him〃　I　could　have　been　less　vindictive。
  On　a　bench；　with　an　air；　sat　the　young　millionaire's
  chum。
  He　was　dressed　in　a　neat　suit　of　dark　blue　serge；　a　neat
  white　straw　hat；　neat　low…cut　tan　shoes；　linen　of　the
  well…known　〃immaculate〃　trade　mark；　a　neat；　narrow
  four…in…hand　tie；　and　carried　a…　slender；　neat　bamboo
  cane。
  I　laughed　loudly　and　vulgarly。
  〃What　you　want　to　do；〃　said　I　to　the　sociologist；　〃is
  to　establish　a　reformatory　for　the　Logical　Vicious　Circle。
  Or　else　I've　got　wheels。　　It　looks　to　me　as　if　things　are
  running　round　and　round　in　circles　instead　of　getting
  anywhere。〃
  〃What　do　you　mean？〃　　asked　the　man　of　progress。
  〃Why；　look　what　he　has　done　to　〃Smoky；〃　I　replied。
  〃You　will　always　be　a　fool；〃　said　my　friend；　the　sociolo…
  gist；　getting　up　and　walking　away。
  THE　RANSOM　OF　RED　CHIEF
  IT　LOOKED　like　a　good　thing：　but　wait　till　I　tell　you。
  We　were　down　South；　in　Alabama　　Bill　Driscoll　and　myself
  when　this　kidnapping　idea　struck　us。　　It　was；　as　Bill
  afterward　expressed　it；　〃during　a　moment　of　temporary
  mental　apparition〃；　but　we　didn't　find　that　out　till　later。
  There　was　a　town　down　there；　as　flat　as　a　flannel…cake；
  and　called　Summit；　of　course。　　It　contained　inhabitants
  Of　as　undeleterious　and　self…satisfied　a　class　of　peasantry
  as　ever　clustered　around　a　Maypole。
  Bill　and　me　had　a　joint　capital　of　about　six　hundred
  dollars；　and　we　needed　just　two　thousand　dollars　more
  to　pull　off　a　fraudulent　town…lot　scheme　in　Western
  Illinois　with。　　We　talked　it　over　on　the　front　steps　of　the
  hotel。　　Philoprogenitiveness；　says　we；　is　strong　in　semi…
  rural　communities；　therefore　and　for　other　reasons；　a
  kidnapping　project　ought　to　do　better　there　than　in　the
  radius　of　newspapers　that　send　reporters　out　in　plain
  clothes　to　stir　up　talk　about　such　things。　　We　knew　that
  Summit　couldn't　get　after　us　with　anything　stronger
  than　constables　and　maybe　some　lackadaisical　blood…
  hounds　and　a　diatribe　or　two　in　the　Weekly　Farmers'
  Budget。　　So；　it　looked　good。
  We　selected　for　our　victim　the　only　child　of　a　prominent
  citizen　named　Ebenezer　Dorset。　　The　father　was　respect…
  able　and　tight；　a　mortgage　fancier　and　a　stern；　upright
  collection…plate　passer　and　forecloser。　　The　kid　was　a
  boy　of　ten；　with　bas…relief　freckles；　and　hair　the　colour　of
  the　cover　of　the　magazine　you　buy　at　the　news…stand
  when　you　want　to　catch　a　train。　　Bill　and　me　figured
  that　Ebenezer　would　melt　down　for　a　ransom　of　two
  thousand　dollars　to　a　cent。　　But　wait　till　I　tell　you。
  About　two　miles　from　Summit　was　a　little　mountain；
  covered　with　a　dense　cedar　brake。　　On　the　rear　elevation
  of　this　mountain　was　a　cave。　　There　we　stored　provisions。
  One　evening　after　sundown；　we　drove　in　a　buggy　past
  old　Dorset's　house。　　The　kid　was　in　the　street；　throw…
  ing　rocks　at　a　kitten　on　the　opposite　fence。
  〃Hey；　little　boy！〃　　says　Bill；　〃would　you　like　to　have
  a　bag　of　candy　and　a　nice　ride？〃
  The　boy　catches　Bill　neatly　in　the　eye　with　a　piece　of
  brick。
  〃That　will　cost　the　old　man　an　extra　five　hundred
  dollars；〃　says　Bill；　climbing　over　the　wheel。
  That　boy　put　up　a　fight　like　a　welter…weight　cinnamon
  bear；　but；　at　last；　we　got　him　down　in　the　bottom　of　the
  buggy　and　drove　away。　　We　took　him　up　to　the　cave　and
  I　hitched　the　hor