. The idea of making a position for himself was
tempting, but if it was only to be carried into effect by fighting
bigger boys he felt that the result might be failure.

'What you want is practice,' resumed Allan. 'Now it's no use your
trying to fight me--I'm much too big and strong for you; nor Hamish,
for he's far too good-natured and would never hit out at you enough; so
it's awfully lucky we've got Harry here just now--he's just the very
fellow.'

Reggie looked up in perplexity.

'But how can I fight Harry?' he said; 'I've never quarrelled with him.'

'You young duffer,' said Allan, 'you don't need to fight about anything
in particular. It's only for practice. Then we've got to make the
yacht late, you know, and this is no end of a good opportunity, as we
can't be expected to stay where the grown-ups are likely to find us
when we've got a fight on hand. Here's a nice quiet place, just behind
these rocks, and there's Harry wading in that pool; you can just fight
him at once, or I'll punch both your heads for you. Hullo, Harry!
Come along! Reggie wants to fight you. Now, go it, you two, and I'll
be umpire;' and before the younger boys knew what they were about they
were sparring at each other like a couple of angry cocks.

'Straight, Reggie, you young duffer,' said Allan, settling himself to
give professional advice. 'Give it to him from the shoulder.'

'I say, what's the row?' asked Hamish, who came strolling down to the
scene; 'so these two have come to loggerheads, have they?'

'Not they,' replied Allan carelessly; 'it's only practice.'

Marjorie's curly head rose above a rock behind which she had been lying
_perdu_; and when she saw what was going on she jumped up and scrambled
to the other side.

'Whatever is the matter?' she cried. 'Can't you make them stop, Allan?'

'Practice-fight,' replied Allan; 'don't call out, Marjorie; you'll
distract their attention.'

Reggie, unused to fighting, soon began to have the worst of it, but he
struggled manfully until a well-planted blow from Harry knocked the
breath out of him.

'That's enough for a beginning,' said Allan. 'You've done not so
badly, Reggie, for the first time, and you'll get into it all right by
practice.'

'But what did he go at me for?' cried Harry, with a blank expression of
countenance. 'I didn't do anything to him.'

'Nobody said you did, you duffer,' replied Allan; 'Reggie only wants to
be able to fight the fellows at schoo