ack, and my word
those two have gone off with their tails between their legs. Licked,
sir, licked out and out."

"I suppose I shall be sent away, sir," I said, wringing the water out of
my shirt-sleeves.

"I suppose you won't," said Mr Solomon sharply. "I've seen a deal, my
lad, and I wondered you didn't have a turn at them before. I didn't
think you'd got the stuff in you, to tell you the truth."

"Oh, but he had!" said Bunce. "I wish you'd ha' seen."

"Well, I'm sorry," said Mr Solomon. "No, I'm not; I'm glad. They'll
leave you alone now. There, go and change your things. It was time you
did strike. Here, I'll go with you, or you'll frighten the missus into
fits. I say," he shouted back, "keep a sharp look-out for that boy, and
catch him if you can. I must have him stopped."

"Poor old Shock!" I thought, as I felt grateful to him for what he had
done.

The next minute I was at the gardener's cottage, being scolded and wiped
by Mrs Solomon, who said she had never seen such a sight in her life,
and who was not happy till she had me down-stairs in dry things, bathing
one of my eyes, putting a leech on the other, and carefully strapping up
a cut on the back of my head.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

I HAVE A DIFFICULT TASK.

The gardener was right. The fight was a lesson for the boys, who kept
at a distance from me, during the next few days, while our scratches and
bruises grew faint and began to heal.

We had expected they would have been off to school; but for some reason,
illness I believe, the holidays were extended for a month, and so they
stayed, but I was pretty well left in peace.

My first hint of Sir Francis' return was given by that gentleman
himself, who came upon me suddenly as I was busy in the peach-house. I
was painting away at the branches that had become infected with a
tiresome kind of blight, when I heard a sharp quick step behind me, and
my heart quailed, for I felt that it was Sir Francis about to take me to
task for my encounter with his sons.

I kept busily on with my work, in the faint, hope that he might pass me
and say nothing, but he stopped short, and looked on as I busied myself
with my brush and the poisonous decoction that was to kill the insects.

I was in agony, for I felt that he was looking me through and through,
and when he did speak at last I gave quite a jump.

"Hah!" he exclaimed, "rather hard upon the insects. Well, Grant, how
are you getting on?"

"