; you mount on yours first," I said; and most of them tried to
get up, each with the help of two or three fellows who stood round to
support them. I then brought out mine.

"Shall we help you?" inquired three or four of the boys, who by this
time were my chief friends and supporters.

"Thank you," I said, laughing; while the others who were looking on
expected to see me bungle as the rest had been doing. My friends
collected round me and prepared to help me up. I did not undeceive
them, but suddenly jumping on one side I sprang into my stilts.

"Who's for a race?" I cried out. "Come along; let us start fair."

We were at one end of the playground, and I began to move backwards and
forwards, and in and out among the other fellows. They seemed satisfied
that I was not going to do much better than they were. Several who had
by this time managed to balance themselves, now formed a line.

"Away you go," cried one of the big boys, who expected to see me and the
rest tumble down on our noses.

Off we started. In an instant I felt as much at home as I had been when
making my escape from Motakee's village, and, as might be supposed, away
I went. First one of the boys tumbled down, then another, and another,
while I kept ahead, and, reaching the end of the playground, turned back
again, to find all my competitors rubbing their arms and knees, only two
or three having the courage to make an attempt to stand up again on
their stilts.

"I don't want to laugh at you," I said, as I came back and stalked in
and out among them, looking down with a complacent air from my lofty
elevation. "I ought to have told you, perhaps, that I have had some
experience in walking on stilts, though, as I had not used them for many
months, I did not wish to boast beforehand. You will do as well as I
can in time."

"I should think you must have had experience," cried out two or three of
the big fellows; "and probably you can do a good many more things. We
shall be on the watch not to be taken in again."

Stilt-walking soon became the rage, though I continued to be far
superior to all my companions. They looked up to me in consequence with
even greater respect than before, and I found my position in the school
as satisfactory as I could desire. I was able, consequently, to take
the part of many of the weaker or less courageous boys who were bullied
by the rest. Among others, there was a delicate boy called Henri de
Villereine, and