I am quite able to defend myself if
attacked."
"I hope so," said the usher; but he scanned Hector's physical
proportions doubtfully, and it was very clear that he did not think
him a match for the young tyrant of the school.
Meanwhile, Jim Smith and his schoolfellows were amusing themselves
in the playground.
"Where's that new fellow?" asked Jim, looking back to see whether he
had come out.
"He didn't come out," said Bates.
Jim nodded his head vigorously:
"Just as I expected," he said. "He knows where he is well off."
"Do you think he was afraid to come?" asked Bates.
"To be sure he was. He knew what to expect."
"Are you going to thrash him?" asked Johnson.
"I should say I might."
"He's a very good Latin scholar," remarked Wilkins.
"He thinks he is!" sneered Jim.
"So Mr. Crabb appears to think."
"That for old Crabb!" said Jim, contemptuously, snapping his
fingers. "He don't know much himself. I've caught him in plenty of
mistakes."
This was certainly very amusing, considering Smith's absolute
ignorance of even the Latin rudiments, but the boys around him did
not venture to contradict him.
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