haste she had made, and Master
Richard's juvenile soul burnt within him at the sight like that of a
knight-errant. He had read a great deal about knights-errant for the
time which had been as yet allowed him for the pursuit of literature,
and he was by nature a boy of much fire and gentleness, and a very
sympathetic imagination. So the big heart in the small body swelled
with pity and grew hot with valour, and, without parley, he smote
the foremost boy, who happened to be the bigger of the two, and went
headlong into fight with him.

Ichabod followed the young master's lead without knowing, or in the
smallest degree caring, why, and tried to seize the smaller savage, who
skilfully evaded him and ran. The little maiden stood and trembled
with clasped hands as she looked upon the fray. Ichabod lifted his
smock-frock to get his hands into the pockets of his corduroys, and
watched with the air of an old artist standing behind a young one.

'You shouldn't work at it so much, Master Richard,' said Ichabod. 'Tek
it easier, and wait for him. That's it!'

The combat was brief and decisive. The youthful savage carried the
heavier metal, but he was slow with it; but suddenly, as if to show that
he was not altogether without activity, he turned and ran his hardest
Master Richard, with blue-gray eyes still glistening and hands still
clenched in the ardour of battle, turned upon the little girl, who was
some two years younger than himself At the sight of her he turned shy
and blushed, and the little girl turned shy and blushed also. She looked
at the ground, and then she looked at Richard, and then she looked at
the ground again. She was slender and delicate, and had very beautiful
soft brown eyes, and the hero of a minute back was abashed before her.

'You 'm a Mountain, baint you?' said Ichabod, looking at her with
disfavour. She looked shyly at him, but did not answer. 'What's your
name?' he asked, stooping towards her.

'Julia Mountain,' said the child, in a trembling treble.

'Ah!' said Ichabod, 'I thought so. Come along, Master Richard, or else
we shall niver get hum again afore dark.'

Master Richard walked away with backward glances, shyly directed at the
little girl, and the little girl stood with her cheek inclining to her
shoulder, and the shoulder drawn up a little, as if to shelter her, and
looked after him. This exchange went on until Ichabod and the boy had
turned the corner of the lane, when Miss Julia Mountai