Glyn Severn's Schooldays Part 39

"Now, go and yelp somewhere else. Let's have none of your howlings here."

But only a faint sob followed, while the little fellow rose with his teeth closely set and lips compressed, as he tried to stifle the cries that were struggling to escape, and then stood leaning against his nearest companion without uttering a sound.

"Look here, Burton," sneered Slegge, "go and tell Severn, and ask him to come and lick me again. I am ready, and I'll let him see.--Yes, you may look, Mr Burney, Esquire. I saw that letter yesterday you had from home. Esquire indeed! It's sickening!--I am ready to have it out with him whenever he likes, and take the n.i.g.g.e.r after him when he's had his gruel. Go and tell him if you like. It's been dull enough in the place ever since that miserable imposture about the lost belt. You want something to rouse you up, and I'll give it you if you can bring those two fellows up to the scratch; but that you can't do. Look at them sneaking off like a street cur and an Indian jackal. Contemptible beasts! I only wish they would come back. I feel just in the humour now to give them what for. Yah!--Well, any of you going to fetch them back?"

"I'm not," said Burney, shrugging his shoulders. And he turned half-away as if to go and lean against the fence, but really to hide his face as he muttered to himself, "Oh, shouldn't I like to see you licked again!"

"Well, who's going?" cried Slegge haughtily.--"No one?--Here, you, you snivelling little wretch," he continued, turning to little Burton, "go, and tell that big bully Severn that I am waiting here to give him his dose, and that he's to bring the n.i.g.g.e.r with him to have his lot when I have done with number one.--Yes, boys, I feel just in the humour for it, and I am going to cut both their combs.--Do you hear, Burton?"

The little fellow drew a long, deep breath, but he did not move.

"Do you hear what I say?" roared Slegge.

"Yes," said the little fellow st.u.r.dily.

"Well, be off, then, at once, before you get another kick."

"Shan't!" cried the little fellow, through his set teeth; and a sharp jerk seemed to run through his body as he clenched his fists.

"Oh, that's it, is it?" cried Slegge, making a stride towards him.

"Run, Burton, run!" cried two or three voices.

"Shan't!" came again.

"No," cried Slegge. "He'd better! I'd run him! Here, I don't want to hurt you, young un. You go and tell them both what I say."

"Shan't!" cried the little fellow fiercely, and he looked his persecutor full in the face.

"Hark at him! Hark at the little bantam!" cried Slegge, with a forced laugh. "And look at them, boys. Look at the two slinking off like the curs they are, with their tails between their legs. There, you will be disappointed; there's no fight in them."

The big school-hero was quite right certainly as far as one of the pair was concerned, for just then Singh was saying, "Oh, it's cowardly of you. I can't bear it. I will go back and have a go at him myself."

"No, you won't," said Glyn st.u.r.dily, and he locked Singh's arm well within his own.

"How dare he insult me like that! I don't care if he half-kills me; but I won't bear it."

"Yes, you will," said Glyn, "like a man."

"Like a coward, you mean."

"No, I don't. I am not going to have you knocked about just because a low bully abuses you."

"Well, will you go and thrash him yourself?"

"No. I have whipped the cur once, and I am not going to lower myself by fighting again because in his spite he turned and barked at us. I could do it again, and I feel just in the humour; but what does it mean?

Black eyes and bruises, and the skin off one's knuckles, and a nasty feeling that one has degraded one's self into fighting a blackguard, for that's what he is, or he wouldn't have insulted you as he did just now.--Come away."

"Oh, I didn't think you were such a coward, Glyn."

"And you don't think so now," replied Glyn coolly. "You are in a regular rage, and that's just the difference between you Indian fellows and an Englishman. You begin going off like a firework."

"Yes, and you go off as if you had had cold water poured on you."

"Very likely," replied Glyn. "There, we are both hot now. Let's try and cool down. I don't care whether it seems cowardly or whether it doesn't; but I am not going to get up a fight and make an exhibition of myself for the other fellows to see. Once was quite enough; and perhaps after all it's harder work to bear a thing like this than to go over yonder and punch old Slegge's head and have it out."

"I don't care whether it is or not," said Singh fiercely. "Let's go, and if you won't fight, I will."

"Look here, Singhy; you and I have had lots of wrestles, haven't we?"

"Yes; but what's that got to do with it?"

"Why, this. I am not bragging; but I have more muscle in my arms than you have, and if I like I can put you on your back at any time."

"Ur-r-r-r-r-ur!" growled Singh.

"That means you own it. Well now, look here; if you try to get away from me I'll put you down on your back and sit upon you till you grow cool."

"Do if you dare!" cried Singh.

Glyn closed with him on the instant. There was a short struggle. The young Indian prince was laid neatly upon his back almost without an effort on the part of Glyn, who the next moment was seated calmly astride his companion's chest, fortunately well out of sight of the group beneath the elms. Then for a few minutes Singh heaved and struggled, glaring the while into his companion's eyes, until, as if he had caught the contagion of the good-humoured smile in Glyn's frank young face, a change came over Singh's, and the fierce heaving gave way to a movement that was certainly the beginning of a laugh, followed by a good-humoured appeal.

"Let me get up, Glyn. I am quite quiet now," said the boy.

"No games?"

"No; honour bright. It's all over now, and I don't want to fight."

The next minute the two lads were walking away as if nothing had happened.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

A LITTLE VICTIM.

That same evening Singh went down the town to relieve his feelings and the heaviness of one of his pockets, for the day before both he and Glyn had received letters from the Colonel with their monthly allowance.

Glyn had refused to join his companion, to Singh's great annoyance, for the occurrences of the day had left him touchy and ready to take offence at anything.

"I wouldn't have refused to go with you," he said. "It's precious disagreeable, and you might come."

"Can't," said Glyn firmly. "I can't come, and you know why."

"Oh yes, I know why; all out of disagreeableness. You haven't got any other reason."

"Yes, I have. You haven't written to father, have you, to thank him for what you got?"

"No; I am going to write to-morrow."