the flies
that skimmed about and flitted over the surface of the water in such
rapid motion that they looked like strings of flies.

All at once there was a splash in the river close to their feet.

"There's a great fish," said Fred.

"It was a stone, I think," said Philip.

"But who was to have thrown it?" said Harry; "there's no one about."

Just then a great stone splashed up the water, and another struck the
poor dog such a blow upon the head that it gave a sharp howl, and rolled
right down the bank into the river, from whence it crawled with its eye
swelling up fast, and a cut in the skin bleeding profusely.

The boys now saw that the stones were thrown from behind a hedge on the
right, and three more came directly, one of which hit Philip a smart
blow in the back and made him wince again. Just then three big lads
made their appearance, and began to pick up more stones.

"Let's run," said Fred, "or we shall be hurt."

"Yes, come along," said Philip, rubbing his back and twisting with pain.

"No, I shan't run," said Harry; "the cowards have half killed poor Dick,
or I'd set him at them. I know who they are,--there's Bill Jenkins, and
the two Stapleses. Don't I wish I was bigger, I'd give it them;" and
Harry ground his teeth together, and clenched his fists tightly.

"Yah; yah-ha; go home!" shouted the assailants. But Harry wouldn't
budge an inch, but stooped down and began to tie his pocket handkerchief
round the dog's bleeding head.

"Yah-ah! yah-ah-ah-ah; go home wi' yer!" shouted the lads again, running
up, evidently meaning to chevy the Grange boys away; and this seemed an
easy task, for the new-comers were all bigger and stronger.
"Yah-ah-ah-ah; go home!" they shouted again; and then one, who seemed to
be the leader, said to his comrades,--"Let's pitch the dog in, come on."

"You'd better not touch him, Bill Jenkins," said Harry, turning very
white, either with fear or rage. "We did not interfere with you, so
leave us alone."

"Yah-ah-ah-ah; go home with yer!" shouted the boys again, for this
seemed to be a kind of battle-cry with which they warmed themselves to
attack the inoffensive party. Philip half-screwed himself behind Harry,
while Fred, who felt dreadfully alarmed, stood behind Philip.

"Let us go home quietly, please," said Fred, "and I'll give you a
shilling."

"Give us the shilling, then," said the boy called Jenkins, who, upon its
being produced, snatched it away from Fred, pu