ross some patch of
sunshine; and Tom ran on faster than before, the pain having made him
feel angry, and as if he must, to use his own words, "take it out of
Pete," he being the active cause.

From time to time the great hulking lad glanced back, expecting to see
that he had shaken off his pursuer, but looked in vain, for Tom was now
doggedly determined. His brow was knit, his teeth set, and his clenched
fists held close to his sides, and after keeping up the high rate of
speed for some minutes, he now, feeling that it was going to be a long
chase, settled down to a steady football or hare-and-hound trot, which
combined fair pace with a likelihood of being able to stay.

Pete Warboys too had been compelled to slacken somewhat in his clumsy
bovine rush, and Tom observed with satisfaction, as the minutes went on,
and they must have been--pursuer and pursued--toiling over the slippery
fir-needles for quite a quarter of an hour, that Pete glanced over his
shoulder more often than before.

"He's getting pumped out," muttered Tom. "He's so big that he can't
keep his wind, and he'll stop short soon. Oh, I say, why don't I look
where I'm going!"

For this time the sandy earth had suddenly given way beneath him, just
in the darkest part of the wood, and he plumped right down to the bottom
of a rough pit, and went on before he could stop himself right under the
roots of a great fir-tree, half of which stood out bare and strange,
over what looked like an enormous rabbit-hole.

Tom looked wonderingly at the hole, and backed out into the pit, climbed
out, and continued his chase, rather breathlessly now, for the fall had
not been good for his breathing apparatus. He had lost ground too, but
he soon made that up, for Pete was getting exhausted; and, what seemed
strange, since Tom's last fall he had turned off, and appeared to be
running in a circle, till all at once he stopped short with his back up
against a tree, panting heavily, and with the perspiration dripping from
his forehead.

There was a vicious look in the fellow's countenance, for he was showing
his teeth, and as Tom drew near, he spat on one hand, and took a fresh
grip of the thick stick he carried. Then, taking a step forward, he
raised the weapon, and aimed a savage blow at his adversary, that would
in all probability have laid Tom _hors de combat_, at all events for a
few minutes.

But to give good effect to a blow struck with a stick, the object aimed
a