“Wish you may get him,” said Phil, whilst Jack added:
“Now look here, Andrew, we’ve been discussing what happened this morning and what happened the day before yesterday, and we’ve decided that on each occasion you behaved like a horrid sneak and a coward. If you were one of our fellows at school you’d get a jolly good licking. As it is, we’re going to kick you out of our number.”
“Yes, we’re not going to let you join in anything again,” said Phil.
“I don’t mean to have anything more to do with any of you,” said Andrew, “I was on my way to tell you so.”
“Oh! you thought that you were going to sneak out of your rightful punishment that way, did you?” cried Phil; “pretty joke that.”
“Hm! you won’t find that so easy,” said Jack; “when soldiers and sailors are dismissed from Her Majesty’s service they don’t exactly take up their hats and say ‘Good-day’ to their superior officers, and stroll off as if they were going to a picnic. The law takes a little personal notice of them first, you know, just as we are going to pay a little special attention to you now. Hm!” and Jack cleared his throat significantly.
At this signal, which had been settled before, Hubert and Gaston descended from their perches and stood at attention on either side of the accused, and facing Jack.
“Keep your distance, you two grinning apes,” cried Andrew; “look out, you frog, or it will be the worse for you,” he added, giving a poke in the ribs to Hubert, and a pinch to Gaston’s arm.
But the proud position in which they found themselves rendered both small boys impervious to their injuries.
“Therefore we have decided,” pursued Jack, “to allow you your choice of two alternatives; by accepting either, you will have a chance of paying the penalty for your cowardly behaviour, and thus redeeming your reputation.”