ll pick it up yourself. Duncan, Russell, here! do
help me against this intolerable brute."

Several boys ran up, but they were all weaker than Barker, who besides
was now in a towering fury, and kicked Eric unmercifully.

"Leave him alone," shouted Duncan, "or by heaven I'll get you a sound
thrashing from some fellow."

"I won't; mind your own business," growled Barker, shaking himself free
from Duncan's hand.

"Barker, I'll never speak to you again from this day," said Montagu,
turning on his heel with a look of withering contempt.

"What do I care? puppy, you want taking down too," was the reply, and
some more kicks at Eric followed.

"Barker, I won't stand this any longer," said Russell; and seizing him
by the arm, he dealt him a swinging blow on the face.

The bully stood in amazement, and dropped Eric, who fell on the turf
nearly fainting, and bleeding at the nose. But now Russell's turn came,
and in a moment Barker, who was twice his weight, had tripped him up,
when he found himself collared in an iron grasp.

There had been an unobserved spectator of the whole scene, in the person
of Mr. Williams himself, and it was his strong hand that now griped
Barker's shoulder. He was greatly respected by the boys, who all knew
his tall handsome figure by sight, and he frequently stood a quiet and
pleased observer of their games. The boys in the playground came
crowding round, and Barker in vain struggled to escape. Mr. Williams
held him firmly, and said in a calm voice, "I have just seen you treat
one of your schoolfellows with the grossest violence. It makes me blush
for you, Roslyn Boys," he continued, turning to the group that
surrounded him, "that you can stand by unmoved, and see such things
done. You know that you despise any one who tells a master, yet you
allow this bullying to go on, and that, too, without any provocation.
Now, mark; it makes no difference that the boy hurt is my own son; I
would have punished this scoundrel, whoever it had been, and I shall
punish him now." With these words he lifted the riding-whip which he
happened to be carrying, and gave Barker one of the most satisfactory
castigations he had ever undergone; the boys declared that Dr. Rowlands'
"swishings" were nothing to it. Mr. Williams saw that the offender was a
tough subject, and determined that he should not soon forget the
punishment he then received. He had never heard from Eric how this boy
had been treating him, but he had h