ne started, one of them thought fit to enliven
the proceedings with a joke.

"Hallo, mister! how much starch d'you put on your weskit?"

"That much!" answered Raymond, snappishly, and leaning outwards in
passing he dealt the speaker a sharp cut with his cane.

"Yah! Thatches!" cried the boy, and every time the whirligig brought
his assailant into view the shout was repeated.

In the year of grace 1877 some traces still remained of an ancient feud
between the school and the boys of the town. The name "Thatches" had
been invented by the latter on account of the peculiar pattern of straw
hat worn by their adversaries; while the answering taunt always used in
those warlike times was, "Hey, Johnny, where's your apron?" a remark
which greatly incensed the small sons of toil, who usually wore this
garment.

"What have you been doing to those chaps?" asked Jack, as the horses
slowed down and the yell was repeated.

"One of them cheeked me, and I hit him with my stick."

"Well, we'd better slip away as soon as this thing stops; we don't want
to have a row with them here."

Unfortunately for the three boys, their steeds stopped just opposite
the hostile group. Jack pushed through them with an expression of
lofty contempt, an example followed by Rosher; but Raymond was stupidly
led into a further exchange of incivilities.

"Don't you give me any more of your confounded impudence, you miserable
little cads, or I'll give you another taste of this stick."

The "cads" answered with a shout of derisive laughter, and a few more
straggling clansmen joining the band, they followed after the three
friends, keeping at a safe distance, and repeating their cries of "Yah!
Thatches! Hit one yer own size!" and other remarks of a similar nature.

"We can't go on like this," said Jack. "They'll follow us all round
the fair. Shall we charge the beggars?"

"No," answered Raymond. "Let's go into the circus, and that'll put
them off the track. You fellows pay, and I'll owe it you; I don't want
to change my sovereign here."

Rosher paid for three shilling seats, and the trio entered the big
circular tent, thus for the time being effectually escaping from the
pursuing band of unfriendly natives.

The performance had just commenced, and though the display was by no
means brilliant, yet the boys enjoyed it, and soon forgot the existence
of everything except clowns, acrobats, and trained horses.

"_I say_!" exclaimed Rosher sudden