this answer.

"Will you now?" again asked Blackall.

"No," bawled out Bouldon.

Several cuffs and blows now descended on his head and shoulders. Again
Blackall asked him if he would fag. Bouldon did not deign to answer.

"Do you hear me? Are you deaf?" thundered out the bully.

Bouldon made not the slightest reply to this question either by word or
look. The consequence was that the bully began striking away at him
right and left, till Tom felt that he was getting very severely
punished, and he could not help wishing that some relief was at hand.
He struggled as much as his strength would allow, and at last,
forgetting all the rules of prudence, he broke away, and instead of
endeavouring to escape, he clenched his fists and struck at the bully in
return. The consequence was, that he was soon knocked down on the
grass. He was not very much hurt, so when he saw Blackall about to kick
him, he sprang up in time to avoid the blow.

"Ah, you arrant coward, to think of kicking a fellow half your size when
he is on the ground!" he exclaimed, standing at a distance, however, so
that he might have time to leap out of Blackall's way. Under any
circumstances he would not have deigned to run; that is not the fashion
of any English boys I have ever met. On the contrary, he was anxious to
keep near Blackall, and to spin out the time till his friends could
arrive to his assistance. He would particularly have wished them to
find him on the ground, and Blackall engaged in kicking him. Of course
Tom's look, and attitude, and words very much increased the exasperation
of the latter, who now, springing after him, caught him again by the
collar, and began pummelling him with all his might about the ribs and
head, till his face was one mass of bumps and bruises. Still Bouldon
would not cry out for mercy, or give in. Whenever he had an opportunity
he broke away from his persecutor, and once more stood on the defensive,
returning, when he could, blow for blow. He was soon, however, again
knocked down with a blow on the forehead, which almost stunned him. He
saw the bully advancing with his foot to kick him.

"Oh, don't, don't; you'll kill me," sang out poor Tom, who really did
dread the force of the big fellow's heavy shoe, given with the full
swing of his leg.

Blackall heeded him not, and would have executed his barbarous purpose,
had he not that instant felt a heavy load fall down on his back, and a
pair of arms encir