The Project Gutenberg EBook of Jack of Both Sides, by Florence Coombe

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Title: Jack of Both Sides
The Story of a School War

Author: Florence Coombe

Illustrator: S. B. Pearse

Release Date: January 13, 2007 [EBook #20354]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JACK OF BOTH SIDES ***

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[Illustration: "IT'S A VERY GOOD THING, MADAM, FOR YOU ... THAT MY
FRIEND HERE IS NOT DEAD!"
_See page 40_]

Jack of Both Sides

The Story of a School War

BY

FLORENCE COOMBE

Author of "Boys of the Priory School" "A Chum Worth Having"
"Her Friend and Mine" &c.

_ILLUSTRATED BY S. B. PEARSE_

BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED
LONDON GLASGOW AND DUBLIN

CONTENTS

CHAP.

I. THE JOKE THAT FAILED 5

II. TOPPIN'S DIVE 16

III. THE CHICKEN AND THE BICYCLE 30

IV. A KNOCK AT THE WINDOW 44

V. THE STORM BREAKS 57

VI. THE MARCH HARE'S REVENGE 71

VII. HANNAH THE HOUSEMAID 85

VIII. JACK'S MAIDEN SPEECH 94

IX. LOST--A NAME 103

JACK OF BOTH SIDES

CHAPTER I

THE JOKE THAT FAILED

"I say, you fellows, look here! What do you think of this? It's our
lunch!"

"This" was a large basket, lined with a white cloth, at the bottom of
which lay nine bread-pills. Nine boys looked down at them in rueful
disgust, and then across the school-room to where a larger group stood
chuckling mischievously, their hands and mouths filled with tempting,
crusty hunches, carved from the loaf according to fancy.

Those nine gray, unappetizing pellets represented all that was left of
the loaf; and Mason, the boy who first spoke, realizing this, flung the
big basket in a burst of indignation at the heads of the opposite clump,
one or two of whom were hit. Revenge was prompt. Ere it touched the
floor it was hurled back with vigour, but, being dodged successfully,
fell harmless to the ground.

Mason and seven others were new-comers to Brincliffe Sch