ry superfluous trouble.

Walter was awakened by a shake from Harpour, who, with Jones, was
standing by his head. He saw what was coming, for Harpour, who had a
pair of braces tightly knotted in his hand, briefly opened the
proceedings by saying, "Are you going to sneak about me, or not?"

"To sneak--no; to tell the head of the school--yes."

"Then, by Jove, you shall have something worth telling; I'll take my
revenge out of you beforehand. I shall be sent away--think of that."

"So much the better. One bully the less."

"Oh, that's your tune? Take that." The buckle of the brace descended
sharply on Walter's back, drawing blood; the next instant he had wrested
it out of Harpour's hand, and returned the blow.

The scuffle had awakened the rest. Walter jumped out of bed, and was
hurrying on his trousers and slippers, when Harpour knocked him down.

"Fair play, Harpour," said Henderson and Franklin, angrily seizing
Harpour's arms; "you're surely not going to fight him, Walter?"

"Yes; see fair play, you fellows; Cradock, you will, won't you? Fair
play is all I want. Flip, you see that Jones tries no mean dodge. Now,
Harpour, are you ready? Then take that."

Walter hit him a steady blow in the face, and the fight between these
unequally-matched combatants--a boy not fifteen against a much stronger
boy of seventeen--began. The result could not be dubious. Walter
fought with indomitable pluck; it was splendid to see the sturdiness
with which he bore up under the blows of Harpour's strong fist, which he
could only return at intervals. He was tremendously punished, while
Harpour was barely touched, except by one well-directed blow which
flashed the fire out of his eyes. At last he dealt Walter a heavy blow
full on the forehead; the boy reeled, caught hold of the wash-hand stand
to stay his fall and dragged it after him on the floor with a thundering
crash, dashing the jug and basin all to shivers.

The smash brought in Mr Robertson, whose rooms were nearest to Number
10. He opened his eyes in amazement as he came in. On one of the beds
lay the two masks and dark lantern which had been used to frighten Eden;
on the floor, supported by Franklin and Henderson, sat poor Walter, his
nose streaming with blood, and his face horribly bruised and disfigured;
Harpour sheepishly surveyed his handiwork; and Jones, on the first
alarm, had rushed back to bed, covered himself with blankets, and lay to
all appearance f