skulker!
Here's one of the black guard! Off to thy fellows, varlet!" at the same
time dealing a dexterous blow under the cap, which sent the blackberries
up into Ambrose's face. "Ha! ha!" shouted the ill-conditioned fellow.
"So much for a knave that serves rascally strangers! Here! hand over
that bag of nuts!"

Ambrose was no fighter, but in defence of the bag that was to purchase a
treat for little Aldonza, he clenched his fists, and bade George Bates
come and take them if he would. The quiet scholarly boy was, however,
no match for the young armourer, and made but poor reply to the buffets
of his adversary, who had hold of the bag, and was nearly choking him
with the string round his neck.

However, Stephen had already missed his brother, and turning round,
shouted out that the villain Bates was mauling him, and rushed back,
falling on Ambrose's assailant with a sudden well-directed pommelling
that made him hastily turn about, with cries of "Two against one!"

"Not at all," said Stephen. "Stand by, Ambrose; I'll give the coward
his deserts."

In fact, though the boys were nearly of a size, George somewhat the
biggest, Stephen's country activity, and perhaps the higher spirit of
his gentle blood, generally gave him the advantage, and on this occasion
he soon reduced Bates to roar for mercy.

"Thou must purchase it!" said Stephen. "Thy bag of nuts, in return for
the berries thou hast wasted!"

Peaceable Ambrose would have remonstrated, but Stephen was implacable.
He cut the string, and captured the bag, then with a parting kick bade
Bates go after his comrades, for his Eagle was nought but a thieving
kite.

Bates made off pretty quickly, but the two brothers tarried a little to
see how much damage the blackberries had suffered, and to repair the
losses as they descended into the bog by gathering some choice
dewberries.

"I marvel these fine fellows 'scaped our company," said Stephen
presently.

"Are we in the right track, thinkst thou? Here is a pool I marked not
before," said Ambrose anxiously.

"Nay, we can't be far astray while we see Saint Paul's spire and the
Tower full before us," said Stephen. "Plainer marks than we had at
home."

"That may be. Only where is the safe footing?" said Ambrose. "I wish
we had not lost sight of the others!"

"Pish! what good are a pack of City lubbers!" returned Stephen. "Don't
we know a quagmire when we see one, better than they do?"

"Hark, they are sho