y.

Cries of "Now then, school!"

"Hack it through, there!"

"Down with the Radicals!"

"Pony for ever!" mingled with yells and cheers and coarser shouts of
"Down with the schoolboys!" indicated clearly enough that a lively
battle was in progress, and that Willoughby was fighting its way home.

The whole town seemed to be coming at their heels, and more than once a
pitched battle had to be decided before any progress could be made. But
slowly and surely the discipline of the schoolboys, animated by the
familiar words of command of the football-field, asserted itself above
the ill-conditioned force of their assailants, and at every forward step
the triumphant shout of "Pony for ever!" rose with a mighty cheer, which
deafened all opposition cries.

In due time the playground gate was reached, amid tremendous cheering,
and next moment, driving before them some of their demoralised
opponents, the vanguard of the school burst in.

Even Riddell and Fairbairn, as they looked down on the scene, could
hardly forbear a little natural pride on witnessing this triumphant
charge home of their truant schoolfellows.

That the battle had been sore and desperate was evident by the limping
gait, the torn clothes, and the damaged faces of some of the combatants
as they swarmed in in an irresistible tide, amid the applause of their
comrades and the howls of the baffled enemy, who raged vainly without
like so many wild beasts robbed of their prey.

Among the last to fight their way in were Game, Ashley, Tipper, and a
few other seniors, who, truants as they were, had yet, to their credit,
assumed the place of danger in the rear, where the crowd pressed
thickest and with most violence. A sorry spectacle were some of these
heroes when finally they plunged into the playground and then turned at
bay at the gate.

"All in!" shouted a voice, and immediately a rush was made to close the
gates and prevent further entrance, when a loud cry of "Hold on,
Willoughby! Rescue here!" held them back.

Riddell started at the sound, and next moment had vaulted from the low
window to the ground, closely followed by Fairbairn.

"Rescue! rescue! Man down!" cried the school within.

"Keep them in!--shut them in!" cried the roughs without.

"It's young Wyndham!" said Riddell, rushing wildly to the front; "he'll
be murdered!"

"Scrag him!--scrag the schoolboy!" yelled the roughs, making a rush in
the direction of the cries.

Not a moment wa