l?" And at the signal
two or three of the juggler's accomplices made a dash at the retreating
youth and seized him.

"Souse him in the river!" cried somebody else.

"Sit on him!" shouted a third.

In the midst of these contradictory advices the roughs lifted their
struggling victim from his feet, and proceeded to carry him in the
direction of the bridge.

In the momentary glimpse which Charlie got of the wretched object of
this persecution, he recognised, to his horror and astonishment, Tom
Drift, livid with terror, frantic with rage, and yelling with pain.

"Jim," cried Charlie, "that's Tom Drift! Oh! can't we help him? Will
you try, Jim! Poor Tom!"

"Is he one of them four as brought you here?" asked Jim, not offering to
move.

"Yes; but never mind that; they will drown him; see how furious they
are! Will you help him, Jim?"

"Not a bit of me," replied the stubborn Jim, who was well content to see
the tables turned on one who had so brutally ill-treated his young
companion.

"Then I must try myself;" and so saying, the boy of thirteen rushed in
among the crowd, and wildly tried to make his way to where his
schoolfellow was being dragged by his persecutors.

Of course Jim had nothing for it but to back him up, and in a moment he
was beside my young master.

"Let the boy be!" he shouted to those who carried Drift, in a voice so
loud that for a moment the rabble stood quiet to hear.

In the midst of this silence Charlie shouted,--

"Hold on, Tom Drift, we'll help you if we can."

Instantly the crowd took up the name.

"Tom Drift! Yah! Souse Tom Drift! Roll Tom Drift in the mud! Yah!
Tom Drift!"

And sure enough Tom Drift would have suffered the penalty prepared for
him, despite Charlie's attempt at rescue, had not help come at that
moment from a most unexpected quarter.

It will be remembered that Joe Halliday and his friend Walcot had
planned a long walk on this holiday to Whitstone Woods, some ten miles
beyond Gurley.

This plan they had duly carried out, and were now making the best of
their way back to Randlebury along the crowded highway, when the sudden
cry of a schoolfellow's name startled them.

"Tom Drift! Yah! Beggarly schoolboy!"

"I say, Joe, that's one of our fellows! What's happening?"

Joe accosted a passer-by.

"What's going on?" he inquired.

"They're only going to souse a young chap in the river."

"What for?"

"I don't know; 'cause he don't think the same