noon
It had been agreed among the three boys that they should refuse to depart when ordered to do so by the instructor , and that when he made a move toward them , they would assail him simultaneously and rout him `` horse , foot and dragoons . '' But the business was conducted with such a cyclone rush that the plan of campaign was entirely overturned . Before the rebels could combine , all three were out doors , so shaken up that they agreed that a new system of resistance would have to be adopted . And thus it came about that at the noon recess , one day of the following week , the boys of Bushville school gathered in the cool shade of the woods to listen to the plan of the three malcontents for destroying the authority of the school . It was mainly curiosity on the part of the younger portion , who had little sympathy with the motives of the leaders and were quite sure they would meet with failure . `` I 've made up my mind that I wo n't stand it , '' announced Tom , after the situation had been freely discussed ; `` no boy with any spirit will allow a teacher to run him out of school in the style he served me . '' `` What then made you let him do it ? ''