to knot and splice
properly, and was unlikely to allow any slip knots to be made. When
Blackall showed that he was completely recovered, the boys who had been
appointed to flog him, once more made ready to go on with the operation,
but Ernest stopped them. His feelings revolted at thus punishing a
school-fellow, however richly he might have deserved punishment, who had
been rendered so utterly helpless.

"Stay," he cried out. "He has had enough to show him what we have the
power of doing, and the pain he has suffered may teach him in future not
to inflict pain on others. Take the gag out of his mouth, and let us
hear if he will promise to behave properly in future towards all the
younger boys of the school, to beg pardon of Bouldon for his
unwarrantable attack on him, and especially that he will promise to
abandon his absurd attempt to fag any of the boys of the school. You
hear what has been said, Blackall. Will you consent to these terms?
Take the gag out of his mouth and let him answer."

Blackall had heard every word that was said, and had he been wise, he
would have yielded to the force of circumstances; but instead of that,
he began as before to abuse and threaten Ernest and Buttar, and all the
boys whose voices he recognised, and to declare that he had a perfect
right to fag one and all of them if he chose.

"The gag! the gag! Treason! treason!" was the reply, accompanied by
loud laughter from all the party.

The gag was quickly produced; but as Blackall found it being adjusted,
his courage, or rather his obstinacy, gave way.

"What is it, do you say, that you want of me, you fellow?" he asked, in
a very much humbled tone.

Ernest repeated the terms he had before proposed.

"As to that, I do not mean to say that I am not ready to agree to your
terms," he replied; "only just mark me, you fellows. I don't think that
I am a greater bully than others, and if you fancy that I am going to
agree not to lick a fellow who is impudent, you are mistaken. I'm not
going to promise any such thing. Fagging is not in vogue, so I'll give
that up for the present, but I don't know what other big fellows will
do."

This speech of the once formidable bully was received with loud shouts
by most of the younger boys, but Ernest, who knew something more than
they did of human nature, did not put much confidence in what had been
said, still he saw that it would be politic to release him while he
remained in that humble