then. Ready!"

The pair were facing each other again, and the encounter which followed
was a little longer, but it ended in Mercer giving his adversary a sharp
blow on the cheek, and directly after another on the nose, and Dicksee
again seemed to sit down suddenly as if to wipe it, a duty which had
certainly become necessary.

"Silence!" cried Burr major, as a burst of cheers followed this last
round, for it was seen that the fat lad did not intend to get up again.
"Dicksee isn't well to-day; I believe old Jollop has given him
something." Then in a whisper, as he half-dragged his principal back,
"You beggar!" he said; "I'll serve you out for this."

"Hooray!" cried a small boy at the window; "old Senna has licked--"

"Will you mind and watch that window," cried Burr. "It's all right,
boys; I shall have to dress Jollop down as soon as I've done the groom.
Here, Hodson, you must second me."

"Oh, Tom," I whispered, with my heart beating, "I wish I could fight
like you!"

"So you can," he replied; "better. Look out, he's ready. Take it
coolly; never mind his show. I wish I was going at him instead of you.
I'm nice and warm now."

"I wish you were," I said.

"No, you don't."

The next minute I was facing my tall adversary, who looked down at me
contemptuously, after a smiling glance round at the boys, which seemed
to say,--"Now you shall see."

There was a faint cheer at this, followed by a smothered howl, which
drew attention to Dicksee, who was now rocking himself to and fro as if
in pain.

Then there was what seemed to me a peculiarly ominous kind of silence,
and I felt shocked and frightened, not so much of my adversary as at
myself. The feeling was mingled with shame, for I began to think that I
must be a terrible coward, and I found myself wondering what my uncle
would say if he knew how unfit I was to be trained to become a soldier.

These thoughts were momentary, long as they take to describe, and I
began to wonder whether it would be best to apologise to Burr major, and
ask him to let me off, but as I thought that, I felt that I could not,
and that I would sooner he half killed me. This brought up thoughts of
my mother's sweet, gentle face, and how she would suffer if she knew
what was going on.

Lastly, I began to think I must fight, and that I had better prepare to
take care of myself, for Burr major deliberately threw himself into a
graceful attitude and addressed me.

"Now, you young