as this to pay back many debts which his own jealousy had from time
to time conjured up against me. For, apart from the fact that I
happened to be a little more brilliant than he in our class at
school, there were not wanting indications that he was in other
ways losing ground in our common race, and circumstances seemed to
require that we should each make a final effort now for the upper
hand.

Seeing my determined attitude, he regarded it as a challenge, and
at once took off his jacket and held it out for Robbie Rosson to
take charge of. Robbie promptly showed the tenor of his feelings by
allowing the jacket to fall upon one of the gravestones, and by
coming to my side. Hercus merely busied himself in pacifying my
dog, which had become restless on hearing our high words.

Kinlay and I now stood face to face, and I almost trembled to think
of the thrashing that was probably in store for me. He gave the
first blow, which struck me soundly on the side of the head and
knocked my cap off. I buttoned my jacket tight and closed with my
adversary, yet with small success. The fight was for a few moments
unequal. Tom was much the taller, and his big feet, with their hide
sandals, seemed to grip the elastic turf. His fists, too, were
large and hard, and his lunging strokes were enough to stagger one
of our native ponies.

Against this superiority I had to depend upon such power of limb
and endurance as I had acquired by long practice at cliff climbing
and in swimming the strong currents of Scapa Flow. For a time a
heavy blow on my chest disabled me, and my right arm was sorely
bruised by the many blows it had suffered in guarding my face.