e protected, who smelt
Jewish; he said they ran us Gentiles hard, and carried big guns.

Only a reputation like Matey's could have kept his leadership from a
challenge. Joseph Masner, formerly a rival, went about hinting and
shrugging; all to no purpose, you find boys born to be chiefs. On the day
of the snow-fight Matey won the toss, and chose J. Masner first pick; and
Masner, aged seventeen and some months, big as a navvy, lumbered across
to him and took his directions, proud to stand in the front centre, at
the head of the attack, and bear the brunt--just what he was fit for,
Matey gave no offence by choosing, half-way down the list, his little
French friend, whom he stationed beside himself, rather off his
battle-front, as at point at cricket, not quite so far removed. Two boys
at his heels piled ammunition. The sides met midway of a marshy ground,
where a couple of flat and shelving banks, formed for a broad new road,
good for ten abreast--counting a step of the slopes--ran transverse; and
the order of the game was to clear the bank and drive the enemy on to the
frozen ditch-water. Miss Vincent heard in the morning from the sister of
little Collett of the great engagement coming off; she was moved by
curiosity, and so the young ladies of her establishment beheld the young
gentlemen of Mr. Cuper's in furious division, and Matey's sore aim and
hard fling, equal to a slinger's, relieving J. Masner of a foremost
assailant with a spanker on the nob. They may have fancied him clever for
selecting a position rather comfortable, as things went, until they had
sight of him with his little French ally and two others, ammunition boys
to rear, descending one bank and scaling another right into the flank of
the enemy, when his old tower of a Masner was being heavily pressed by
numbers. Then came a fight hand to hand, but the enemy stood in a clamp;
not to split like a nut between crackers, they gave way and rolled,
backing in lumps from bank to ditch.

The battle was over before the young ladies knew. They wondered to see
Matey shuffling on his coat and hopping along at easy bounds to pay his
respects to Miss Vincent, near whom was Browny; and this time he and
Browny talked together. He then introduced little Emile to her. She spoke
of Napoleon at Brienne, and complimented Matey. He said he was cavalry,
not artillery, that day. They talked to hear one another's voices. By
constantly appealing to Miss Vincent he made their conve