ould look around him and say, "I
have won the victory."

For a day--for two days--the bachelors were demoralized at the fall of
their leader, and the Knights of the Rose were proportionately uplifted.

The day that Blunt met his fall, the wooden tank in which the water
had been poured every morning was found to have been taken away. The
bachelors made a great show of indignation and inquiry. Who was it stole
their tank? If they did but know, he should smart for it.

"Ho! ho!" roared Edmund Wilkes, so that the whole dormitory heard him,
"smoke ye not their tricks, lads? See ye not that they have stolen their
own water-tank, so that they might have no need for another fight over
the carrying of the water?"

The bachelors made an obvious show of not having heard what he said, and
a general laugh went around. No one doubted that Wilkes had spoken the
truth in his taunt, and that the bachelors had indeed stolen their own
tank. So no more water was ever carried for the head squires, but it was
plain to see that the war for the upperhand was not yet over.

Even if Myles had entertained comforting thoughts to the contrary, he
was speedily undeceived. One morning, about a week after the fight, as
he and Gascoyne were crossing the armory court, they were hailed by
a group of the bachelors standing at the stone steps of the great
building.

"Holloa, Falworth!" they cried. "Knowest thou that Blunt is nigh well
again?"

"Nay," said Myles, "I knew it not. But I am right glad to hear it."

"Thou wilt sing a different song anon," said one of the bachelors. "I
tell thee he is hot against thee, and swears when he cometh again he
will carve thee soothly."

"Aye, marry!" said another. "I would not be in thy skin a week hence for
a ducat! Only this morning he told Philip Mowbray that he would have thy
blood for the fall thou gavest him. Look to thyself, Falworth; he cometh
again Wednesday or Thursday next; thou standest in a parlous state."

"Myles," said Gascoyne, as they entered the great quadrangle, "I do
indeed fear me that he meaneth to do thee evil."

"I know not," said Myles, boldly; "but I fear him not." Nevertheless his
heart was heavy with the weight of impending ill.

One evening the bachelors were more than usually noisy in their end of
the dormitory, laughing and talking and shouting to one another.

"Holloa, you sirrah, Falworth!" called one of them along the length of
the room. "Blunt cometh again to-morrow day