"Do you want me to send you to prison, sir?" cried the old gentleman.

"No, sir."

"Then hold your tongue. Any witnesses, constable?"

"No, Sir Thomas."

"Humph! Well, really, Mr Dempster, from what I know of human nature,
it seems to me that these lads have both spoken the truth."

"Incorrigible young scoundrels, Sir Thomas."

"No, no, no! Excuse me, I think not. A boy is only a very young man,
and there is a great responsibility in properly managing them. The
marks upon these lads show that they have had a very cruel attack made
upon them by somebody. You confessed that you struck one of them.
Well, I am not surprised, sir, that one took the other's part. I say
this, not as a magistrate, but as a man. You have to my mind, sir,
certainly been in the wrong--so have they, for they had their remedy if
they were ill-used by applying to a magistrate. So understand this,
boys--I do not consider you have done right, though I must own that you
had great provocation."

"Then am I to understand, sir," began Mr Dempster, in a very different
tone of voice to that which he had before used, "that you are not going
to punish these young scoundrels?"

"Have the goodness to recollect where you are, sir," said the old
alderman sternly. "Yes, sir, I dismiss the case."

"Then a more contemptible mockery of justice," roared Mr Dempster, "I
never saw."

"Exactly," said the old alderman, quietly; "your words, Mr Dempster,
quite endorse my opinion. You are a man of ungovernable temper, and not
fit to have charge of boys."

"Then--"

"That will do, sir.--The next case."

"I should like to shake hands with that old chap," whispered Esau; and
then aloud, as he tossed his cap in the air, "Hooray!"

There was a roar of laughter in the court, and the old alderman turned
very fiercely upon Esau, and shook his head at him, but I half fancy I
saw him smile, as he turned to a gentleman at his side.

Then in the midst of a good deal of bustle in the court, and the calling
of people's names, the policeman hurried us both away, and soon after
stood shaking hands with us both.

"You've both come off splendid, my lads," he said, "and I'm glad of it.
Old Sir Thomas saw through Master Dempster at once. I know him; he's a
bad 'un--regular bully. One of his men--Dingle, isn't his name?--has
often told me about him."

"Ah, you don't know half," said Esau.

"Quite enough, anyhow," said the constable, clapping Esau on the
s