d and a fourth round succeeded, all apparently in Barnaby's
favour, but really in mine. My face was beat to a mummy, but he was
what is termed groggy, from the constant return of blows on the side of
the head. Again we stood up panting and exhausted. Barnaby rushed at
me, and I avoided him: before he could return to the attack I had again
planted two severe blows upon his ears, and he reeled. He shook his
head, and with his fists in the attitude of defence, asked me whether I
had had enough.

"_He_ has," said my second; "stick to him now, Jacob, and you'll beat
him."

I did stick to him; three or four more blows applied to the same part
finished him, and he fell senseless on the ground.

"You've settled him," cried my second.

"What's done can't be helped," replied I. "Is he dead?"

"What's all this?" cried Mr Knapps, pressing his way through the crowd,
followed by the matron.

"Barnaby and Cinderella having it out, sir," said one of the elder boys.

The matron, who had already taken a liking for me, because I was
good-looking, and because I had been recommended to her care by Mrs
Drummond, ran to me.

"Well," says she, "if the Dominie don't punish that big brute for this,
I'll see whether I'm anybody or not;" and taking me by the hand, she led
me away. In the meantime Mr Knapps surveyed Barnaby, who was still
senseless; and desired the other boys to bring him in and lay him on his
bed. He breathed hard, but still remained senseless, and a surgeon was
sent for, who found it necessary to bleed him copiously. He then, at
the request of the matron, came to me; my features were
indistinguishable, but elsewhere I was all right. As I stripped he
examined my arms.

"It seemed strange," observed he, "that the bigger boy should be so
severely punished; but this boy's arms are like little _sledge-hammers_.
I recommend you," said he to the other boys, "not to fight with him,
for some day or other he'll kill one of you."

This piece of advice was not forgotten by the other boys, and from that
day I was the cock of the school. The name of Cinderella, given me by
Barnaby, in ridicule of my mother's death, was immediately abandoned,
and I suffered no more persecution. It was the custom of the Dominie,
whenever two boys fought, to flog them both; but in this instance it was
not followed up, because I was not the aggressor, and my adversary
narrowly escaped with his life. I was under the matron's care for a
week