d most junior of "squeakers,"
dared to apply it!....

The infamy of the Coward spread abroad, was talked of in other Houses,
and fellows made special excursions to see the cry-baby, who funked a
dead snake, a blooming bottled, potted, dead snake, and who had
blubbed aloud in his terror.

And Bully Harberth of the Fifth, learning of these matters, revolved
in his breast the thought that he who fears dead serpents must, even
more, fear living bullies, put Dam upon his list as a safe and pliant
client, and thereby (strange instrument of grace!) gave him the chance
to rehabilitate himself, clear the cloud of infamy from about his
head, and live a bearable life for the rest of his school career....

One wet Wednesday afternoon, as Dam, a wretched, forlorn Ishmael, sat
alone in a noisy crowd, reading a "penny horrible" (admirable,
stimulating books crammed with brave deeds and noble sentiments if
not with faultless English) the Haddock entered the form-room,
followed by Bully Harberth.

"That's him, Harberth, by the window, reading a penny blood," said the
Haddock, and went and stood afar off to see the fun.

Harberth, a big clumsy boy, a little inclined to fat, with small eyes,
heavy low forehead, thick lips, and amorphous nose, lurched over to
where Dam endeavoured to read himself into a better and brighter world
inhabited by Deadwood Dick, Texas Joe, and Red Indians of no manners
and nasty customs.

"I want you, Funky Warren. I'm going to torture you," he announced
with a truculent scowl and a suggestive licking of blubber lips.

Dam surveyed him coolly.

Of thick build, the bully was of thicker wit and certainly of no
proven courage. Four years older than Dam and quite four inches
taller, he had never dreamed of molesting him before. Innumerable as
were the stories of his brutalities to the smallest "squeakers" and of
his cruel practical jokes on new boys, there were no stories of his
fighting, such as there were about Ormond Delorme, of Dam's form,
whose habit it was to implore bigger boys of their courtesy to fight
him, and to trail his coat where there were "chaws" about.

"I'm going to torture you, Funky. Every day you must come to me and
_beg_ me to do it. If you don't come and pray for it I'll come to
_you_ and you'll get it double and treble. If you sneak you'll get it
quadru--er--quadrupedal--and also be known as Sneaky as well as Funky.
See?" he continued.

"How will you torture me, Harberth, please?