ter his hold on his enemy.

Larry, swift in action as in thought, was off his bicycle and into the
ring without a second of hesitation.

"Catch your dog by the tail," he shouted to the boys, while he
performed the like office for the Doctor's dog. "Now then! Into the
river with them!"

The two dogs, fast in each other's jaws, were lifted, and were borne
across the road to the edge of the footpath, below which the river
ran, deep and strong.

"Now then!"

The two rough, yellow bodies were swung between Larry and his
coadjutor.

"Now! Let 'em go!"

The dogs flew like chain-shot through the air, and, with a tremendous
splash disappeared from view in the river. They rose to the surface
still keeping their hold of one another, and sank again. A second time
they rose without having loosened their grip, but at their third
appearance they were apart.

"Now boys! Cruisht them well, or they'll be at it again when they
land!"

The "cruishting," which means pelting with stones, succeeded. The
enemies landed at different points. Miss Mangan's charge was
recaptured, his antagonist was stoned by his owners until out of
range, and the incident closed.

It was not, however, without result.

"I think you never met Captain Cloherty, Mr. Coppinger?" said Tishy,
with a glance at Captain Cloherty that spoke disapproval. "He's not as
useful in a fight as you are, though he _is_ in the Army!"

"My branch of the service mends wounds, it doesn't go out of its way
to get them!" returned Captain Cloherty, composedly, "and I haven't
any use for getting bitten."

"Mr. Coppinger wasn't so nervous!" retorted Miss Mangan, scorchingly,
"and it's well for me he wasn't! What'd I say to the Doctor if I had
to tell him his pet dog was dead?"

"Something else, I suppose!" suggested Captain Cloherty, his red
moustache lifting in a grin that Miss Mangan found excessively
exasperating; "it wouldn't be the best time to tell the truth at all!"

"How funny you are!" said Tishy, with a blighting glance. "It's easy
to joke now, when Mr. Coppinger has done the work!"

She swept another glance of her grey eyes at Larry, very different
from that that she had bestowed upon the callous Cloherty.

Few young men object to exaltation at the expense of another,
especially if that other has two or three inches the advantage in
height, and they are themselves not unconscious of deserving. Larry
led his bicycle and walked beside Tishy, and found pleasure