a stick in his hand.

Neither of the boys were daunted. Dudley shouted out,

"Let us by at once, or we'll make you! You'd better look out how you
cheek us!"

And Roy in a moment had his jacket off, and was rolling up his shirt
sleeves.

"Come on, Dudley, we'll lick him into shape, if he dares to touch us!"

What might have befallen our two little heroes cannot be told, for at
this critical juncture the rector came up, and in stern, commanding
tones ordered the man on.

"That stamp of man is a pest in the place," he said; "he won't be
influenced for good but hangs about the ale-houses and lives on the
proceeds of his begging. If people only knew the harm they do in giving
him money instead of a little honest work! Well, boys, run along home,
it's a good thing I came up to stop a free fight. How do you think you
two atoms could have got the better of a man like that? 'Discretion is
the better part of valor' remember. Keep your fists for a good cause.
And never entice a drunken man to fight. It is a degrading spectacle."

Saying which Mr. Selby passed on, and Roy and Dudley walked home without
saying a word to each other.

By the time they had finished their tea, they recovered their spirits,
and were in the midst of an exciting game of cricket in a field