ck, he would pause as each person passed
him, and wait to see that he was given the salute which he thought due
to his dignity. This courtesy he never dreamed of returning, save in
the case of some of his richer parishioners; but if by chance it were
omitted, he would hurry after the culprit, and, shaking his stick in his
face, insist upon his doffing his cap to him. We youngsters, if we met
him on our walks, would scuttle by him like a brood of chickens passing
an old turkey cock, and even our worthy master showed a disposition to
turn down a side-street when the portly figure of the Vicar was seen
rolling in our direction. This proud priest made a point of knowing the
history of every one within his parish, and having learnt that I was the
son of an Independent, he spoke severely to Mr. Chillingfoot upon the
indiscretion which he had shown in admitting me to his school. Indeed,
nothing but my mother's good name for orthodoxy prevented him from
insisting upon my dismissal.

At the other end of the village there was a large day-school. A constant
feud prevailed between the scholars who attended it and the lads who
studied under our master. No one could tell how the war broke out, but
for many years there had been a standing quarrel between the two, which
resulted in skirmishes, sallies, and ambuscades, with now and then a
pitched battle. No great harm was done in these encounters, for the
weapons were usually snowballs in winter and pine-cones or clods of
earth in the summer. Even when the contest got closer and we came to
fisticuffs, a few bruises and a little blood was the worst that could
come of it. Our opponents were more numerous than we, but we had the
advantage of being always together and of having a secure asylum upon
which to retreat, while they, living in scattered houses all over the
parish, had no common rallying-point. A stream, crossed by two bridges,
ran through the centre of the town, and this was the boundary which
separated our territories from those of our enemies. The boy who crossed
the bridge found himself in hostile country.

It chanced that in the first conflict which occurred after my arrival at
the school I distinguished myself by singling out the most redoubtable
of our foemen, and smiting him such a blow that he was knocked helpless
and was carried off by our party as a prisoner. This feat of arms
established my good name as a warrior, so I came at last to be regarded
as the leader of our