panted, "come on and help me."

Distin did not stir, and one of the gipsy lads burst into a hoarse
laugh.

"Not he," cried the lad. "Why, he give us money to leather you before."

Distin made an angry gesture, but checked himself.

"Take that for your miserable lie," cried Vane, and his gift was a
stinging blow in the lad's mouth, which made him shrink away, and make
room for his brother, who seized the opportunity of Vane's arm and body
being extended, to strike him full in the ear, and make him lose his
balance.

"'Tarn't a lie," cried this latter. "He did give us three shillin'
apiece to leather you."

The lad speaking followed up his words with blows, and Vane was pretty
hard set, while a conscious feeling of despair came over him on hearing
of Distin's treachery.

But he forced himself not to credit it, and struck out with all his
might.

"I don't believe it," he roared, "a gentleman wouldn't do such a thing."

"But he aren't a gent," said the first lad, coming on again, with his
lips bleeding. "Promised to pay us well, and he weant."

"Come and show them it's all a lie, Dis," cried Vane, breathlessly.
"Come and help me."

But Distin never stirred. He only stood glaring at the scene before
him, his lips drawn from his white teeth, and his whole aspect
betokening that he was fascinated by the fight.

"Do you hear?" roared Vane at last, hoarsely. "You're never going to be
such a coward as to let them serve me as they did before."

Still Distin did not stir, and a burst of rage made the blood flush to
Vane's temples, as he ground his teeth and raged out with:

"You miserable, contemptible cur!"

He forgot everything now. All sense of fear--all dread of being beaten
by two against one--was gone, and as if he had suddenly become possessed
with double his former strength, he watchfully put aside several of the
fierce blows struck at him, and dodged others, letting his opponents
weary themselves, while he husbanded his strength.

It was hard work, though, to keep from exposing himself in some fit of
blind fury, for the lads, by helping each other, kept on administering
stinging blows, every one of which made Vane grind his teeth, and long
to rush in and close with one or the other of his adversaries.

But he mastered the desire, knowing that it would be fatal to success,
for the gipsies were clever wrestlers, and would have the advantage,
besides which, one of them could easily close and hold w