adly neglectful
of their one-time friend.

Here, seated on the fire-guard, with his legs dangling some inches from
the floor, was a dark, sallow-complexioned lad, with heavy features and
shifting eyes, who went by the name of Frank.

"Well, baby!" this pleasant young gentleman remarked as Jack entered the
room, "so you've been blubbing again, have you? Why, you are always
turning the taps on. We shall have a flood soon."

"If you were anything but a sneak you would take my part, and your own
share in the blame," Jack answered sharply, vainly endeavouring to
steady his quivering lip. "You are a coward to leave me to bear it all.
Why did you say that I broke the vase, when you know very well that you
pushed me against it? I may be a baby, but I'd rather be that than a
coward and a sneak."

Jack blurted out his last words boldly, and glared defiantly at his
stepbrother.

"Here, you shut up, baby!" cried Frank, slipping to the floor and
looking threateningly at him.

"Sha'n't," said Jack stubbornly. "You know it's the truth."

"It's the truth, is it, baby?" repeated the other, lifting his hand
menacingly. "Take it back, or I'll lick you."

"I won't take it back. You are a sneak and a coward, and now you are
trying to be a bully," cried Jack sturdily, facing his opponent without
a sign of flinching.

"Then take that!" shouted Frank, bringing his hand with a smack across
Jack's face.

Words ended there. Jack might be a baby and give way to tears when he
had been treated unkindly, for he was a very sensitive boy, though not
wanting in manliness, but for all that it took a considerable amount of
physical pain to make him whimper.

On the receipt of the blow from Frank his teeth closed tightly, cutting
off the cry he might otherwise have given; his hands shot out in front
of him, and moved rapidly backwards and forwards as he guarded the
vicious blows aimed at him, while he returned them with due interest
whenever there was an opportunity. To anyone who did not know the two
boys it looked at first a most unfair encounter, for, despite the fact
that little more than twelve months intervened between Jack's birthday
and that of Frank, the latter was at least three inches taller, and
correspondingly heavy.

But, though Nature had given him a body which overlapped Jack's by more
than a year's growth, it had placed within it a meagre stock of courage,
which fact was quickly brought to light.

In the first sc