er, hammered and
battered away at him with greater fury than ever, till at last they
closed together, wrestled backwards, forwards, this way, that way, and
at last, seizing his opportunity, Fred gave a regular spring off the
ground, and drove his enemy backwards, but, as it happened, not on to
the ground, but dash, splash into the river, where they both sank, but
came up again directly, Bill Jenkins roaring for help, and Fred holding
on to him like a tiger.

This put an end to the fight, for the fall into the river and conquest
of their leader made the two Stapleses take to their heels, so that
Harry and Philip were at liberty to help Fred, which they did, by
dragging Bill Jenkins half-drowned from the river, for Fred, in his
anger, had kept him under water more than once; and then all three
kicked him rather unmercifully to bring him well to again; and it must
be said, in mitigation of this rather barbarous proceeding, that the
blood of the conquerors was a little up, and they were in that state in
which we hear of soldiers being when they sack and burn towns.

But Bill Jenkins was thoroughly thrashed--thoroughly--for he lay on the
grass and blubbered like a great cowardly calf as he was. He did not
say, "Yah-ah-ah-ha," now, but "boo-hoo-hoo-hooed" dreadfully; and at
last came out--

"We shouldn't ha' touched you if that genelman hadn't given us a
shilling each to pay you at out."

"What gentleman?" said Harry.

"Why, him as lives at the little house yonder, the little fat man,
Muster Jones, hoo--hoo--ooh--ooh," said Bill, who with his swelled eyes
and wet hair now looked a beauty, not that the conquerors had anything
to boast of in that respect. "Now, then," said Fred, viciously; "you
give me my shilling back, or I'll give you another ducking."

"Boo--hoo," said Bill, refunding the cash very reluctantly, and ducking
his head as though to avoid a blow.

"Ah! you deserve it, you great coward," said Harry. "Now get up, and be
off home; and don't you meddle with us again."

And so these young cocks crowed, for the day was regularly their own;
while Bill Jenkins sneaked off, with his feathers draggling down about
his sides, and with bitterness in his heart, for he knew that another
thrashing was in waiting for him at home, for getting his clothes wet,
and his face bruised.

And now that the victors had the field entirely to themselves, and the
excitement was over, they began to find that they were all very st