THE FIGHT AT DAME EUROPA'S SCHOOL.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2541, 10 April 1871, Page 2

THE FIGHT AT DAME EUROPA'S SCHOOL.

( Continued.)

Meanwhile, the other monitors lookid quie'ly on, not knowing exactly what to do. “Oughtn’t I to interfere?” asked John, addressing one of his favorite fags. “ No,” said Billy, who was head fag, and twisted Johnnie round his finger. “You just sit where you are. You will only make a mess of it, and offend both of them. Give out that you are a ‘ neutral.’ ” “ Neuiral!” growled John, “I hate neutrals. It seems . to me a, . cold-blooded cowardly thing to sit by and sec two big fellows smash each other all td pieces about nothing at all They Are both in Jhe wrong, and they ought not to fight. Let me go iu at them.” ... - “No, No,” said Bobby, a "clever, fairhaired Boy, who kept .John’s accounts, and took care of his money. “You really can’t afford it; and besides, you’ve got no clothes to go in. There is not a fellow in the school who wouldn’t laugh at you, if you stood up in his garden. Sit still and grind away old chap, and make some more money, and be thankful that you live on an island, and can take things easily. ” “Well, said John sulkily, “I don’t half like it, though certainly my clothes are not ' try respectable, and there is no time now to mend them. But look here, Bob; 1 mean to go across and help to sponge the poor beggars, if they get mauled.” “You may do that, and.welcome,”replied Bobby. “ You will make no enemies that way, and it may cost you perhaps eighteenpence in ointment and plaster. But bless you, Johunic, if you were to rig yourself out Well enough to hold your own against Louis or William, you would have to fork out a ten pound note or more,” John went on with his work in rather a grumpy humor, for he had always been looked up to as the leading Boy in the school, and he did not like to play second fiddle, He felt sure that if he. had been half so natty and well got up as he used to be, he might have stopped the fight in a moment. For the next half hour he cursed Billy and Bobby, and all the other little sneaks who had wormed themselves ’into favor with him, by teaching him to save money. “Hang the money!” growled Johnnie to himself; “I’d give up half, my shop to get my old pmlif/p back agaiu.”- But it was too lata now. Nevertheless, he had his own way about the sponging, and certainly he did' behave well there. At the end of every round that was fought, he got across the stream, aud bathed poor Louis’ head, for he wanted help the most,' and gave' him sherry and water out of his own flask. “ I am so very sorry for you, my dear Louis,” said he as the Roy, more dead than alive, struggled up to Ilia feet agaiu. “Thank you kiudly, John," said Louis ; “but,” he added, looking, sognewhat reproachfully at hi? friend, “ Why don’t you

separate us ? Don’t you see thnt this great brute is too many for me ? I had no idea that he could fight like that.” “What can I do?” said John. “’Von begin it, yon know, and you really must fight it o it. I have no power.” “So it seems,” replied Louis. “ Ah, there va* a time-well, thank you kindly, John, for—the sticking planter.” “ Lome on !” shouted William, thirsting for more bleed. “ Vive lo ymrre cried poor Louis, rushing blindly at his foe. Well and nobly lie fought, but he could not stand his ground. When he did hit, indeed, he hit to some purpose ; but seldom could he reach out far enough to do much damage. Foot by foot and .yard by yard he gave way, till at last ho was forced to take refuge in his arbour, from the windows of wh ch he threw stones at Ids enemy, to keep him back from following. Louis was plainly in the wrong. He ought to have laloulatcd the other Boy’s strength before attacking him, and ho deserved a licking for his rashness. But he had hid bis licking n w ; and when William, who talked so big about bis peaceable disposition and declared that he only wanted to defend his “fatherland,” chased him right across the garden, trampling over beds and borders on Lis way, and then swore that he would break down his beautiful summer-house and bring Louis on his knees, everybody ft It that the other monitors ought to interfere. But not a foot would they stir. Aleck looked oil from a safe distance, -wondering which of the combatants would be tired first. Joseph stood shivering with fright not daring to say a word, lest William should turn round upon him and thrash him again ; and John sat in his shop, grinding away like a nigger at a new rudder and a pair of oars which he was cutting out for Louis’ boat, in case he wanted to take advantage of the brook- —for which service Louis would pay him handsomely and William abuse him cordially. “ L can’t help it, ” said John, apologetically, “ I’ll make a rudder and some oars for you too, and a boat besides if you want one—that is, of course, if you will pay me well.” “ But I don't want one,” answered William angrily. “ 1 have got no water to float it in, as you very well know.”,. By .which it will appear that J< hn did net make many friends by his neutrality. “And just look here,” continued . William, “do you know where these cuts on my forehead came from ? Why, from stones which you pitched across the water for Louis to throw at me.” “Can’t help it, Bill; it is the law of neutrality.” “ .Neutrality, indeed ! I call it Brutality. And so William went across the garden again, leaving Johnnie at his work—of winch, however, hj ■ began to feel thoroughly ashamed. “Come and help a fellow, John,” cried Louis in despair from his arbour. “ I don’t ask you to remember the days we have spent in here together, when you have been sick of your own shop. But you might do something forme, now that lam in such a desperate flx, and don’t know.which way to turn.” “I am Very sorry, Louis,” said John, “ but what can Ido ? It is no pleasure, to me to see you thrashed. On the contrary, it would pay me much better to have a near neighbor well off and cheerful than crushed ancf miserable. Why don’t yon give in, Louis ? It is of no mortal use to go on. lie wi 1 make friends directly if you will give back the two little strips of garden ; and if you don’t, he will only smash your arbour to pieces, or keep you shut up there all dinner time, and starve you out. Give iu, old fellow. There’s no disgrace in it. Everybody says how plucky you have fought.” “Give in!” sneered Louis, “that is all the comfort you have for a fellow, is it? Give in ! why, .would you give in, if that great brute was iu front of your shop, swearing that he would break it do wn ? Ho disgrace, indeed ! Ho, 1 don’t think there is any disgrace in anything that 1 have done ; but though my dear dear arbour that I have spent so many weeks in building should be pulled down about my cars, and every flower in my garden be rooted up, I would not change places with you, John, sitting Inhere sleek and safe—no, not for all the gold that, ever was coined ! Give in, indeed ! Mon Dieit! that I should ever have heard such a word ,as that come across our little stream !” So Johnnie began to discover that, if lookers-on see the most of the game, they do not always get the most enjoyment out of it. But the boll now. rang for dinner, and he followed the rest of the Boys with some anxiety, not beiug quite easy in his mind as to the account ho would have to give to Mrs Europa of what had been going on. (To he continued)