But here again my Lord Cardinal's fool was a privileged person, and no
one laid a hand on him, though his blood being up, he would, spite of
his gay attire, have enjoyed a fight on equal terms. His quadruped
donkey was brought up to him amid general applause, but when he looked
round for Ambrose, the boy had disappeared.

The better and finer the nature that displayed itself in Randall, the
more painful was the sight of his buffooneries to his nephew, and at the
first leap, Ambrose had hurried away in confusion. He sought his
brother here, there, everywhere, and at last came to the conclusion that
Stephen must have gone home to dinner. He walked quickly across the
fields separating Westminster from the City of London, hoping to reach
Cheapside before the lads of the Dragon should have gone out again; but
just as he was near Saint Paul's, coming round Amen Corner, he heard the
sounds of a fray. "Have at the country lubbers! Away with the
moonrakers! Flat-caps, come on!" "Hey! lads of the Eagle! Down with
the Dragons! Adders! Snakes-s-s-s-s-!"

There was a kicking, struggling mass of blue backs and yellow legs
before him, from out of which came "Yah! Down with the Eagles!
Cowards! Kites! Cockneys!" There were plenty of boys, men, women with
children in their arms hallooing on, "Well done, Eagle!" "Go it,
Dragon!"

The word Dragon filled the quiet Ambrose with hot impulse to defend his
brother. All his gentle, scholarly habits gave way before that cry, and
a shout that he took to be Stephen's voice in the midst of the _melee_.

He was fairly carried out of himself, and doubling his fists, fell on
the back of the nearest boys, intending to break through to his brother,
and he found an unexpected ally. Will Wherry's voice called out, "Have
with you, comrade!"--and a pair of hands and arms considerably stouter
and more used to fighting than his own, began to pommel right and left
with such good will that they soon broke through to the aid of their
friends; and not before it was time, for Stephen, Giles, and Edmund,
with their backs against the wall, were defending themselves with all
their might against tremendous odds; and just as the new allies reached
them, a sharp stone struck Giles in the eye, and levelled him with the
ground, his head striking against the wall. Whether it were from alarm
at his fall, or at the unexpected attack in the rear, or probably from
both causes, the assailants dispersed in