Part 2 (2/2)

But Aleck was on the alert and avoided several, till a est lad present, a great, hulking, stupid, hobbledehoy of a felloho drove a coer for a h which was chorussed by the little crowd, and then stopped

The spring which set Aleck'shiainst hiressor, and bring his coarse laugh to an end by delivering a stinging blow on the ear which drove hi his finger inside his ear, as if to try and get rid of a peculiar buzzing sound which affected hiely

There was a roar, and the boy who had been thrust against Aleck sprang at hier who had dared to strike his coh, but the attacker was unlucky, for he met Aleck's bony fist on his way before he could use his own Then he clapped his open hands to his nose and stood staring in wonder, and see to find out whether his nose had been flattened on his face

There was an o which Aleck turned and walked on down the slope in a quiet leisurely way, scorning to run, and even slackening his pace to be on his guard as he reached the bottom of the slope, for by that time the boys had recovered from their astonishment, and were in full pursuit

In another -in ring, with the two lads who had tested the force of his blows eager to obtain revenge, incited thereto by a score or two of voices urging theive it him,” ”pay hiest lads of the party then came on at Aleck at once; but, to be just, it was froed by a sheer vindictive desire to be first to obtain revenge for his blow

Hence they were ainst one as still perfectly cool and able to avoid the bigger fellow's assault while he gave the other a back-handed blohich sent hi the odds, so to speak, more even in the continuation of the encounter

Aleck ell on the alert, and, feeling that he was utterly out- as far as the steps, where he would have Toer for an ally, and the attack would come to an end; but he was soon aware of the fact that to retire was i of boys, and there was nothing for hiht his way back slowly and cautiously So he kept his head, coolly resisting the attack of the big felloho hi little heed to the torrent of abuse which acco fisher lad tried to shower upon hi away a few yards, as he could, nearer to the way down to his boat

By this ti the top of the cliff that there was a fight on, and the fisheran slowly to take themselves off the rail and descend the slope to see the fun, as they called it They did not hurry themselves in the least, so that there was plenty of tiress, with Aleck still cal off the blows struck at hi his desire to retaliate when he could have delivered others with ed by his inability to close with his skilful, active adversary, the big lad rew more foul, and Aleck more cool and conte which was received with accla who surrounded the pair, while it went through Aleck like soritted together, as caution and the practice and skill he had displayed were no more, for, to use a schoolboy phrase, his --heto knock the vile slanderous words, uttered against the man he loved and venerated, down the utterer's throat, while his rage against those who crowded around, yelling with delight, took the form of back strokes with his elbow andhead

But it was against the lout who had spoken that the fire of his rage was principally directed, and the fellow realised at once that all that had gone before, on the part of the stranger frohting now, and he fought, showering down such volleys of blows that, at the end of a couple ofof nasty cracks about his adversary's unguarded face, the big lad was being knocked here and there, up, down, and round about, till the shouts and cries about him lowered into a dull, dead hum The pier stones reeled and rose and sank and seemed to imitate the waves that floated in, and when at last, in utter despair, he locked Aleck in his ar bloeen the eyes that he loosened his grasp to shake his head, which the nextdown all of a heap, and the back of his big bullet skull striking the pier stones with a heavy resounding bump

CHAPTER THREE

In his exciteht was now about to begin, for the littletheir cha, for a gruff voice was heard from the fishermen, who had at last bestirred themselves to see more of what they called the fun, and another deep-toned voice, accos, came fros!” cried the first voice, and--

”Stand fast, Master Aleck, I',” cried the other

The effect on the boys wasfisherman who had asked for the ”iles” for his shoulders, a medicament he did not seem to require, for his joints worked easily as he threw out his arht and left, and with a force that would have laid the iniot out of the way

”Well done, young Aleck Donne,” he cried ”Licked Big Jeood Get up--d'yer hear--before I give yer ent, like a school o' dogfish Hullo, Toen'le on, matey,” cried the sailor ”Why didn't yer hail me, Master Aleck?”

”Because I didn't want to be helped,” cried the boy, huskily, his voice quivering with indignation ”A set of cowards!”

”So they are, Master Aleck,” cried the sailor, joining in the lad's indignation ”On'y wish I'd knowed I'd ha' come up with the boat-hook”

”NeverMr Donne's given hi down, and if this here pack arn't off while their shoes are good we'll let hiive it to a few rowled the sailor ”I never see such a set They're allus up to some mischief”

”Ay, ay, that's a true word,” cried another fisherrowled the sailor, who, as he spoke, kept on brushi+ng Aleck down and using his forearm as a brush to remove the dust and _debris_ from the champion's jacket

”Pity he didn't leather another couple of 'e fisherman