It was a disgusting act on the young coward's part, but though in a
moment I felt on fire, I only wiped it off, when Courtenay threw one and
hit me on the face.
I wiped that away too, and raising my can stepped off the path on to the
bed to go to the trench, but not in time to avoid a large over-ripe
gooseberry which smashed as it struck me in the ear and began to trickle
down.
I was in such a rage that the roar of laughter from my two tyrants half
maddened me, and I watered that celery in a way that washed some of the
roots quite bare.
They were waiting for me when I got back to the tub, and, emboldened by
the patient way in which I bore their insults, they kept on pelting me
with the over-ripe fruit till I had it in my hair, my eyes, and down
within the collar of my shirt.
I ground my teeth with rage, and felt that I could bear it no longer,
but I made no sign.
Then they pelted me with words too, inventing ridiculous names, asking
me about the workhouse food, and at last I determined to bear it no
longer, but go straight up to the house and show Sir Francis the state I
was in and beg him to put a stop to this annoyance.
But just then it flashed upon my mind that Sir Francis and her ladyship
had gone out the day before to stay somewhere for a fortnight, and this
explained the boldness of the two young ruffians, who had never behaved
so outrageously before.
"If I go and tell Mr Solomon," I thought, "he will only tell me I was
foolish to take any notice;" and at last, writhing with annoyance, I
emptied the barrel and trundled it down to the pond, hoping to leave my
tormentors behind.
But no; they followed me and continued their assaults as soon as they
had replenished their caps with the gooseberries that were abundant on
the bushes, over-ripe many of them, and of monstrous size.
"Did you ever see such a coward?" said Philip.
"Like all these paupers," cried Courtenay. "Ha! ha! ha! right in the
ear."
I stamped with rage for his words were true about his aim, though I did
not feel cowardly, for I was working hard to do my duty and keep my
hands from my assailants.
"Give him one in the eye," said Philip. "Bet you twopence, Court, I hit
him first in the eye."
They went on pelting and I went on filling my barrel, dipping with the
bucket and pouring it in, and a dozen times over it was all I could do
to keep from discharging the contents of the pail in Courtenay's face.
Full at last, and I was ready to go up the garden again.
I glanced round in the hope of seeing Mr Solomon or Bunce or one of the
other gardeners; but they were all busy in the upper gardens, while I
was quite shut in here with my tormentors.
"Here, let's get some more shot, Court," cried Philip. "I'll serve the
sneaking coward out for getting me in that row with pa."
"Wait a bit," said his brother; "look at him. He goes down just like a
monkey. He's going to wash his gooseberry face."
He was quite right, for I had laid my cap aside and stooped down at the
dipping place to wash off some of the seedy, sticky pulp before going
back.
"Dirty brute!" said Philip. "I never saw such a coward in my life."
I ought to have been on my guard and not have given them the opportunity
which I did, for as I stooped down there, crouching on my heels, I
placed a great temptation in Courtenay Dalton's way. For as I stooped
right down, scooping up the water with one hand to bathe my face, I
suddenly felt a sharp thrust from a foot on my back, and before I could
save myself I was head over heels in the deep water.
It was not so deep but that I got my footing directly, and seizing the
post at the side tried to struggle out, when amidst shouts of laughter
Philip cried:
"Give him another dowse. That's the way to wash a pauper clean."
I was half-blind with the water, as Courtenay thrust my hand from the
post, and in I went again, to come up red hot instead of cold.
He thrust me in again and I went right under; but my rage was not
quenched, and, taught by my experience, I made a rush as if to spring
out on to the dipping-place but instead of doing so I caught at a branch
of a willow by the side and sprang out.
"Shake yourself, dog!" cried Courtenay, roaring with laughter.
"Fetch him a towel," cried Philip. "A towel for the clean pauper. Give
him another ducking, Courtenay."
He ran at me, but in those moments I had forgotten everything in my
thirst to be revenged on my cowardly persecutors.
Philip only seemed to be something in my way as I made at his brother,
and throwing out one fist, he went down amongst the willows, while the
next minute I was striking at Courtenay with all my might.
He was a bigger boy than I. Taller and older, and he had had many a
good fight at school no doubt; but my onslaught staggered him, and I
drove him before me, striking at him as he reached the handles of my
water-barrow, and he fell over them heavily.
This only enraged him, and he sprang up and received my next blow right
in the face, to be staggered for the moment.
Then I don't know what happened, only that my arms were going like
windmills, that I was battering Courtenay, and that he was battering me;
that we were down, and then up, and then down again, over and over, and
fighting fiercely as a couple of dogs.
I think I was getting the best of it, when I began to feel weak, and
that my adversary was hitting me back and front at once.
Then I realised that Philip had attacked me too, and that I was getting
very much the worst of it in a sort of thunderstorm which rained blows.
Then the blows only came from one side, for there was a hoarse panting
and the sound of heavy blows and scuffling away from me, while I was
hitting out again with all my might at one boy instead of two.
All at once there was a crash and the rattle of an iron handle, and
Courtenay went down. He had caught against the pail and fallen.
This gave me time to glance round and see in a half-blinded way that
Philip was fighting with some other boy, who closed with him, and down
they went together.
"Yah! yah! Cowards! cowards!" cried a voice that I well knew; and I saw
giddily that Courtenay and Philip were running up the path, and that
Shock was standing beside me.
"Well done!" cried another voice. "What a licking you two give 'em!"
Shock started, and ran, darting among the bushes, while I sat down on a
barrow-handle, feeling rather thick and dizzy.
"I was coming to stop it. Two to one's too bad; but that ragged chap
come out at young Phil, and my word, he did give it him well. Are you
much hurt, my lad?"
"No, not much, Mr Bunce," I said, staring at him in rather a confused
way.
"Here, I'll get some water," he said; and he went and dipped a pailful.
"Bathe your face in that."