CHAPTER 14

If Myles fancied that one single victory over his enemy would cure the
evil against which he fought, he was grievously mistaken; wrongs are not
righted so easily as that. It was only the beginning. Other and far more
bitter battles lay before him ere he could look around him and say, "I
have won the victory."

For a day--for two days--the bachelors were demoralized at the fall of
their leader, and the Knights of the Rose were proportionately uplifted.

The day that Blunt met his fall, the wooden tank in which the water
had been poured every morning was found to have been taken away. The
bachelors made a great show of indignation and inquiry. Who was it stole
their tank? If they did but know, he should smart for it.

"Ho! ho!" roared Edmund Wilkes, so that the whole dormitory heard him,
"smoke ye not their tricks, lads? See ye not that they have stolen their
own water-tank, so that they might have no need for another fight over
the carrying of the water?"

The bachelors made an obvious show of not having heard what he said, and
a general laugh went around. No one doubted that Wilkes had spoken the
truth in his taunt, and that the bachelors had indeed stolen their own
tank. So no more water was ever carried for the head squires, but it was
plain to see that the war for the upperhand was not yet over.

Even if Myles had entertained comforting thoughts to the contrary, he
was speedily undeceived. One morning, about a week after the fight, as
he and Gascoyne were crossing the armory court, they were hailed by