e, and sent him into a fit of
laughter.

"Here, boys, look at Gooseberry's phiz. He seems as if he'd been
washing it and left it too long to soak! My! what a swelled head!"

The others joined in the roar of laughter, and Green's face was hidden
again directly.

But Nic had not laughed. He was hurt bodily and mentally. There was a
feeling of regret, too, uppermost, which made him resent this unseemly
mirth as cowardly to a fellow enemy.

"You be quiet, Tomlins!" he cried.

"What for?" retorted the boy. "You haven't been kicked as I have. I
shall laugh at Gooseberry if I like. He began it all, and he has got
his dose, and serve him right. Here, let's get back. Old Dictionary
turned his head just now. I say, Greeny, like to have another kick.
I'm such a little one, I shan't hit you again."

"Wait a bit," muttered Green.

"Oh, certainly; I'm in no hurry. Only you may as well do it when Nic
Braydon's here, because he can give you my compliments afterwards, and
leave my card in each of your eyes. Poor old chap! I'm so glad you've
been licked."

"Will you be quiet, young un!" cried Nic angrily. "It's mean and
cowardly."

"Well, that's the stuff he deals in," said Tomlins. "He likes that
better than anything else."

"That's no reason why you should," cried Nic. "Let him be, I tell you."

"Oh, all right, I've done; but I suppose I may say I'm very sorry for
him."

"No, you _mayn't_," cried Nic. "Here, come on back, Greeny; we've had
it out, but we needn't be bad friends. I'm sorry we fought; you'll
shake hands, won't you?"

Green made no movement, and Nic drew closer and held out his hand again.

"Come on," he said; "I'm sorry now; shake hands."

But Green did not move. He sat there crouched together, till Tomlins
went behind him.

"He's asleep," cried the little fellow. "I'll give him a job like he
gave me, and wake him up."

Green spun round upon the bottom of his spine and faced his little
tormentor, who started back with a cry of mock alarm.

"Here, hi, Nic!" he shouted. "Hold him back. He's going to bite."

Nic made a rush, not to protect Tomlins, but to seize him and drag him
away.

"If you tease him again, I'll kick you too," he whispered. "Let him be;
he's beaten. You don't want to hit him now he's down."

"Yes, I do," said the boy, struggling to free himself. "I owe him a
lot, and it isn't safe to hit him when he's not down. Oh, I say, don't;
you're hurting me."