Unfortunately at the end of the next week, the report was worse than ever, and Papa was shocked and expressed himself in very severe language. Bolax showed an unusual spirit of insubordination and temper on being reproved, and his father whipped him. The boy was heart-broken; it was the first time a stroke had been laid upon him in his life. His mother did not approve of corporal punishment, but, of course, would not interfere in what her husband thought to be his duty. Poor Bo felt degraded and went to hide. His mother knocked at his bedroom door, but he would not open it. "No one loves me any more!" sobbed the poor child. "If Aunt Lucy had been home I would not have been whipped." Amy went into the room and putting her arms around her brother's neck, told him she would give him her pony "Ben Bolt," for his very own. "Oh, Sister, I thank you, but nothing can take the pain out of my heart." "I know darling, but Papa is just as pained as you. He said just now, he had rather cut off his hand than hurt you, but you know you would not listen to anything and kept going wild. I tell you what I will do the next time you deserve a whipping; I will stand and take it for you." "I wouldn't let you, dear, sweet Sister; no indeed, but I'll never deserve one again." "Good night and here's Ma dear, to kiss you." In the morning Hetty went up to Bo's room to call him for breakfast; his mother had let him sleep late because she was attending to her husband, who had to take an early train for New York. "Come down here honey," Hetty called again, "Come see the nice fish I'se got for you." Bo went into the dining room and begged the kind creature to sit with him. "You're my best friend, Hetty, dear." "Indeed, I'se your friend. Eat up de fish; it's good, and don't bother lookin' at it." "Oh, I'm just dissecting it." "What's dat?" "Seeing what's inside of it. Hetty, dear, do you know fishes have spinal cords?" "Cords! land sakes! where dey done keep dem?" "Oh, up their backs, of course. Here, see this bone, I break it and here is a string that makes the fish move." "Oh, Massa Bo, where you done learn all dis?" "I heard the A class saying their physiology, and I asked Mamma, and she said we had just such a cord in our backbone." Here Mamma came into the room. "Law bless us, Miss Allen dat chile ought never be whipped for learnin'. He knows lots more now than some men." Mrs. Allen sat down and explained to the children the different parts of the fish. This led to an interesting talk. Amy asked if shellfish were stupid, because people often say: "As dumb as a clam." "Not all dear, there is the beautiful Nautilus; the little mariner and really our first navigator." Then the mother told of the sea nettle, the razorfish, the cuttlefish, that throws a black fluid out of its body, which darkens the water, and when pursued by an enemy escapes by this means. It is a very useful fish; long ago the Romans used that black fluid for ink.