tely for a few minutes;
and then with tears in his eyes began to climb the wall. It was not
very high, but boys were peremptorily forbidden to get over it under any
circumstances, and Eric broke the rule not without trepidation.
However, he dropped down on one of Mrs Rowlands's flower-beds, got his
cap in a hurry, and clambered back undiscovered.

He thought this would have satisfied his tormentor for one day; but
Barker was in a mischievous mood, so he again came up to Eric, and
calling out, "Who'll have a game at football?" again snatched the cap,
and gave it a kick; Eric tried to recover it, but every time he came up
Barker gave it a fresh kick, and finally kicked it into a puddle.

Eric stood still, trembling with rage, while his eyes lightened scorn
and indignation. "You hulking, stupid, cowardly bully,"--here Barker
seized him, and every word brought a tremendous blow on the head; but
blind with passion Eric went on--"you despicable bully, I won't touch
that cap again; you shall pick it up yourself. Duncan, Russell, here!
do help me against this intolerable brute."

Several boys ran up, but they were all weaker than Barker, who besides
was now in a towering fury, and kicked Eric unmercifully.

"Leave him alone," shouted Duncan, seizing Barker's arm; "what a
confounded bully you are--always plaguing some one."

"I shall do as I like; mind your own business," growled Barker, roughly
shaking himself free from Duncan's hand.

"Barker, I'll never speak to you again from this day," said Montagu,
turning on his heel, with a look of withering contempt.

"What do I care? puppy, you want taking down too," was the reply, and
some more kicks at Eric followed.

"Barker, I won't stand this any longer," said Russell, "so look out,"
and grasping Barker by the collar, he dealt him a swinging blow on the
face.

The bully stood in amazement, and dropped Eric, who fell on the turf
nearly fainting, and bleeding at the nose. But now Russell's turn came,
and in a moment Barker, who was twice his weight, had tripped him up,--
when he found himself collared in an iron grasp.

There had been an unobserved spectator of the whole scene, in the person
of Mr Williams himself, and it was his strong hand that now gripped
Barker's shoulder. He was greatly respected by the boys, who all knew
his tall handsome figure by sight, and he frequently stood a quiet and
pleased observer of their games. The boys in the playground came
crow