“You’d better wash the blood off your face, Shepard, or there’ll be a row.”
“I don’t care,” I replied, “whether there’s a row or not.”
“Come along,” said Strong; “don’t be downhearted. Fraser is an awful mill and a great bully, and always bullies a new boy just to show off his fighting. Come and wash your face.”
I went with Strong, and removed as much as possible the evidence of my late combat—Strong all the time trying his best to cheer me up.
“You’ve never been at a boarding-school before?” said Strong inquiringly.
“No; and I don’t think I shall stop here long,” I replied.
“Oh, there will be another new boy soon, and then you’ll lead an easy life.”
“But is every new boy treated as I am?”
“Well, very nearly the same. Then they are down upon you because you boasted you were going to get the Engineers’.”
“Boasted? I didn’t mean to boast. I came here to prepare for the Engineers.”