aking about it." Mackworth was the speaker.

"I don't want to sneak," said Charlie firmly; "you've been making me
wretched, and knocking me about, all these weeks, and I've never told of
you yet."

"We don't want any orations; only Yes or No--will you sign?"

"Stop," said Wilton, "here's another fellow, Mac, who hasn't signed;"
and he dragged Elgood out of bed by one arm.

"Oh, _you_ haven't signed, haven't you? Well, we shall make short work
of you. Here's the pencil, here's the paper, and here's the place for
your name. Now, you poor little fool, sign without giving us any more
trouble."

Elgood trembled and hesitated.

"Look here," said Mackworth brutally; "I don't want to break such a
butterfly as you upon the wheel, but--how do you like that?" He drew a
cane from behind his back, and brought it down sharply on Elgood's
knuckles, who, turning very white, sat down and scrawled his name
hastily on the paper; but no sooner had he done it than, looking up, he
caught Charlie's pitying glance upon him, and running the pencil through
his signature, said no more, but pushed the paper hastily away and
cowered down, expecting another blow, while Charlie whispered,
"Courage."

"You must take the other fellow first, Mac, if you want to get on,"
suggested Wilton. "Evson, as a friend, I advise you not to refuse."

"_As a friend_!" said Charlie, with simple scorn, looking full at
Wilton. "You are no friend of mine; and, Wilton, I wouldn't even now
change places with you."

"Wouldn't you?--Pitch into him, Mac. And you," he said to Elgood, "you
may wait for the present." He administered a backhander to Elgood as he
spoke, and the next minute Charlie, roused beyond all bearing, had
knocked him down. Twenty times before he would have been tempted to
fight Wilton, if he could have reckoned upon fair play; but what he
could stand in his own person was intolerable to him to witness when
applied to another.

Wilton sprang up in perfect fury, and a fight began; but Mackworth at
once pulled Charlie off, and said, "Fight him another time, if you
condescend to do so, Raven; don't you see now that it's a mere dodge of
his to get off. Now, No-thank-you, the time has come for deeds; we've
had words enough. You stand there." He pushed Charlie in front of him.
"Now, will you sign?"

"_Never_," said Charlie, in a low but firm tone.

"Then--"

"_Not with the cane, not with the cane_, Mackworth," cried several
voices in