CHAPTER XX BEN'S BIRTHDAY

nity,ashewentbesidethestandardbearer,CyFay,whoboreBen'schoicestflag,snow-white,withagreenwreathsurroundingapaintedbowandarrow,andwiththelettersW.T.C.doneinredbelow. Suchamerrymarchallabouttheplace,outattheLodgegate,upanddowntheavenue,alongthewindingpaths,tilltheyhaltedintheorchard,wherethetargetstood,andseatswereplacedforthearcherswhiletheywaitedfortheirturns.Variousrulesandregulationswerediscussed,andthenthefunbegan.MissCeliahadinsistedthatthegirlsshouldbeinvitedtoshootwiththeboysandtheladsconsentedwithoutmuchconcern,whisperingtooneanotherwithcondescendingshrugs,"Let'emtry,iftheyliketheycan'tdoanything." Therewerevarioustrialsofskillbeforethegreatmatchcameoff,andinthesetrialstheyounggentlemendiscoveredthattwoatleastofthegirlscoulddosomethingforBabandSallyshotbetterthanmanyoftheboys,andwerewellrewardedfortheirexertionsby,thechangewhichtookplaceinthefacesandconversationoftheirmates. "Why,Bab,youdoaswellasifI'dtaughtyoumyself,"saidThorny,muchsurprisedandnotaltogetherpleasedatthelittlegirl'sskill. "AladytaughtmeandImeantobeateveryoneofyou,"answeredBab,saucily,whilehersparklingeyesturnedtoMissCeliawithamischievoustwinkleinthem. "Notabitofit,"declaredThorny,stoutlybuthewenttoBenandwhispered,"Doyourbest,oldfellow,forsisterhastaughtBaballthescientificpoints,andthelittlerascalisaheadofBilly." "Shewon'tgetaheadofme,"saidBen,pickingouthisbestarrow,andtryingthestringofhisbowwithaconfidentairwhichre-assuredThorny,whofounditimpossibletobelievethatagirlevercould,would,orshouldexcelaboyinanythinghecaredtotry. ItreallydidlookasifBabwouldbeatwhenthematchfortheprizecameoffandthechildrengotmoreandmoreexcitedasthesixwhoweretotryforittookturnsatthebull's-eye.Thornywasumpire,andkeptaccountofeachshot,forthearrowwhichwentnearestthemiddlewouldwin.Eachhadthreeshotsandverysoonthelookers-onsawthatBenandBabwerethebestmarksmen,andoneofthemwouldsurelygetthesilverarrow. Sam,whowastoolazytopractise,soongaveupthecontest,saying,asThornydid,"Itwouldn'tbefairforsuchabigfellowtotrywiththelittlechaps,"whichmadealaugh,ashiswantofskillwaspainfullyevident.ButMosewentatitgallantlyand,ifhiseyehadbeenastrueashisarmswerestrong,the"littlechaps"wouldhavetrembled.ButhisshotswerenoneofthemasnearasBilly'sandheretiredafterthethirdfailure,declaringthatitwasimpossibletoshootagainstthewind,thoughscarcelyabreathwasstirring. SallyFolsomwasboundtobeatBab,andtwangedawayingreatstyleallinvain,however,aswithtallMariaNewcomb,thethirdgirlwhoattemptedthetrial.Beingalittlenear-sighted,shehadborrowedhersister'seye-glasses,andtherebylessenedherchanceofsuccessforthepinchonhernosedistractedherattention,andnotoneofherarrowswentbeyondthesecondringtohergreatdisappointment.Billydidverywell,butgotnervouswhenhislastshotcame,andjustmissedthebull's-eyebybeinginahurry. BabandBeneachhadoneturnmoreand,astheywereabouteven,thatlastarrowwoulddecidethevictory.Bothhadsentashotintothebull's-eye,butn