and utter helplessness.

"You'll make it _pax_, Sefton, won't you? You can't stand up to those
young devils--"

"Don't be rude, Campbell, de-ah," said McTurk, "or you'll catch it
again!"

"You _are_ devils, you know," said Campbell.

"What? for a little bullyin'--same as you've been givin' Clewer! How
long have you been jestin' with him?" said Stalky. "All this term?"

"We didn't always knock him about, though!"

"You did when you could catch him," said Beetle, cross-legged on the
floor, dropping a stump from time to time across Sefton's instep.
"Don't I know it!"

"I--perhaps we did."

"And you went out of your way to catch him? Don't I know it! Because
he was an awful little beast, eh? Don't I know it! Now, you see,
_you_'re awful beasts, and you're gettin' what he got--for bein' a
beast. Just because we choose."

"We never really bullied him--like you've done us."

"Yah!" said Beetle. "They never really bully--'Molly' Fairburn
didn't. Only knock 'em about a little bit. That's what they say. Only