hat for. Yah!--Well, any of you going to fetch them
back?"

"I'm not," said Burney, shrugging his shoulders. And he turned
half-away as if to go and lean against the fence, but really to hide his
face as he muttered to himself, "Oh, shouldn't I like to see you licked
again!"

"Well, who's going?" cried Slegge haughtily.--"No one?--Here, you, you
snivelling little wretch," he continued, turning to little Burton, "go,
and tell that big bully Severn that I am waiting here to give him his
dose, and that he's to bring the nigger with him to have his lot when I
have done with number one.--Yes, boys, I feel just in the humour for it,
and I am going to cut both their combs.--Do you hear, Burton?"

The little fellow drew a long, deep breath, but he did not move.

"Do you hear what I say?" roared Slegge.

"Yes," said the little fellow sturdily.

"Well, be off, then, at once, before you get another kick."

"Shan't!" cried the little fellow, through his set teeth; and a sharp
jerk seemed to run through his body as he clenched his fists.

"Oh, that's it, is it?" cried Slegge, making a stride towards him.

"Run, Burton, run!" cried two or three voices.

"Shan't!" came again.

"No," cried Slegge. "He'd better! I'd run him! Here, I don't want to
hurt you, young un. You go and tell them both what I say."

"Shan't!" cried the little fellow fiercely, and he looked his persecutor
full in the face.

"Hark at him! Hark at the little bantam!" cried Slegge, with a forced
laugh. "And look at them, boys. Look at the two slinking off like the
curs they are, with their tails between their legs. There, you will be
disappointed; there's no fight in them."

The big school-hero was quite right certainly as far as one of the pair
was concerned, for just then Singh was saying, "Oh, it's cowardly of
you. I can't bear it. I will go back and have a go at him myself."

"No, you won't," said Glyn sturdily, and he locked Singh's arm well
within his own.

"How dare he insult me like that! I don't care if he half-kills me; but
I won't bear it."

"Yes, you will," said Glyn, "like a man."

"Like a coward, you mean."

"No, I don't. I am not going to have you knocked about just because a
low bully abuses you."

"Well, will you go and thrash him yourself?"

"No. I have whipped the cur once, and I am not going to lower myself by
fighting again because in his spite he turned and barked at us. I could
do it again, and I feel j