on found out, you know, without my telling you. But
you needn't give me away. I only just mention it so that you may know
what's in the wind. Don't worry. It's not worth it."

With this characteristic piece of advice Waterman left him.

"Trying to drive me from the school," Paul repeated to himself. "Well,
they may try, and beat me in the long run, but they won't find it easy.
'Be ye stedfast, unmovable.' By God's help I'll try to be true to the
school motto."

Having come to that determination, Paul set his teeth hard, and put his
back to the wall. And so, though scarcely a day passed without bringing
some fresh insult or tyranny, he still held firm to the position he had
taken up--to the resolve he had made with himself and his God. It must
be admitted, however, that the cup was sometimes very near to
overflowing.

His lot might have been easier to bear had he received some answer to
the letter he had written to Mr. Moncrief; but as day followed day
without any response, it seemed to him that Mr. Moncrief disdained
writing to him, or did not think his letter worth answering. He came to
the conclusion that Stanley must have written to his uncle, telling him
what had happened at the sand-pit, and the feeling against Paul at the
school, and so had poisoned his mind against him.

Once or twice Paul thought of writing to the one friend who never failed
him--his mother--and unburdening his breast to her; but the thought only
came to him to be dismissed. It would only make her miserable. She had
suffered enough in the past without being worried with his petty
troubles at school. So he determined to stand alone--to fight out the
battle by himself.

Things were at this pass when an event happened which caused some stir
at Garside.

About a mile from the school ran the river. Its course lay in
picturesque variety through peaceful pastoral country, cornfields, and
orchards. One part of it was spanned by an old wooden bridge. This
bridge had become so dilapidated by time and wear that the county
justices had decided that it was dangerous for traffic. So to prevent
the possibility of an accident, it was decided to pull it down, and
replace it with a new one.

Accordingly, the bridge was pulled down, and a new one begun. To aid in
this task, a raft was used by the workmen in crossing the river.

Now Plunger and his companions in the Third Form were deeply interested
in the work that was going on at the river, but what in