the direction in which he
was travelling, he was rudely awakened from his reverie by the shout of
"A Gargoyle--a Gargoyle!" And before he could move a step farther he
found himself surrounded by a dozen boys, who danced wildly round him,
shouting the name of contempt again and again, as though they were a
band of savages, and had suddenly discovered a victim for the sacrifice.

Paul saw at a glance that he had fallen into the hands of the enemy--in
other words, into the hands of the rival school. There were senior boys
and junior boys. Prominent amongst the latter he noticed Mellor, who was
quite ecstatic with delight at having trapped a Gargoyle.

"Why, hanged if it isn't the fellow who turned tail and ran!" cried one
of the seniors.

"Yes, Percival. Didn't you see that?" said Mellor.

"So it is," came in a chorus.

"The noble champion of the Gargoyles--ho, ho!" cried the senior.

"Ho, ho!" came in a chorus, and they commenced dancing round Paul, in a
wilder, madder fashion than before. "Ho, ho, ho! The noble champion of
the Gargoyles."

"'And he bared his big right arm,'" cried one, when this chorus had
ceased.

"And cried aloud, 'Come on,'" shouted another.

"Come one, come all, this rock shall fly
From its firm base sooner than I!"

shouted a third.

A scream of laughter greeted this sally, and then the dancing was
resumed to the old chorus.

"Ho, ho! ho! The noble champion of the Gargoyles!"

Paul stood motionless as a statue and as white as one in the midst of
the jeering, mocking throng. He made no answer to the jibes, but waited
until they had exhausted themselves. It was some time before that
happened. At length the cries grew feebler, the wild dancing slackened.

"Well, have you nearly finished?" Paul asked.

"Listen. The noble champion of the Gargoyles is speaking. He's got a
tongue," exclaimed the senior who had first spoken.

"And legs as well," said a second.

"And doesn't he know how to use them!" added a third--an observation
which drew out another shriek of laughter. From white Paul turned
scarlet.

To keep silent under provocation, more especially provocation that is
undeserved, is one of the hardest lessons that can be learned, boys and
girls. Paul was only a boy, with a boy's impulses, passions, and
feelings. But some time was to pass before he was to learn the great
lesson of how to keep these passions under perfect control--and many
things were to happen in the inter