“Then I’ll fight,” said Gerald.
“Hello!” cried Alf, coming up, “where’d you get Gerald?”
“Oh, I fished him out of the bunch,” laughed Dan. “I didn’t know who he was until I’d dragged him half-way across the Yard. He’s going to join our side.”
“That’s right,” said Alf. “We’ll get a lot more next time. They got Tom, though.”
“Not really! Think of old Tom getting caught! Let’s rush ’em again before it gets too dark.”
Then Alf and Dan and Gerald and almost a hundred others dashed forward again with a yell, and from the other side of the Yard the enemy came to meet them, and it was all a grand turmoil in the half darkness. Both sides were out for prisoners now, and there was less throwing of snow and more good, hard tussles. So far as Gerald could see, no one lost his temper, or, if he did, he found it again the next moment.
“You’d better keep back,” panted Alf, “or some one will grab you, Gerald.”
But Gerald didn’t care about that. In fact, he rather wanted to be grabbed. He wanted to match his strength against some one, friend or foe. And so he rushed into the thick of battle, fell, picked himself up, was caught around the waist and wriggled free, seized a boy almost twice his size in a vain endeavor to make a prisoner of him, and found himself with his face in the snow and the battle raging fiercely above him. He crawled out of there quickly, for it wasn’t pleasant to be walked on, staggered to his feet and drew breath. The Merle side was giving ground. Behind him at least a dozen prisoners were being hurried away. But the combat still raged, and the shouting continued. Suddenly, out from the enemy’s ranks darted a form and grappled with a boy who, standing almost at Gerald’s side, had, like himself, paused to take breath. Down they went together, there was a moment’s tussle, and then the enemy, having cunningly seized his victim’s feet, started back with him. Both sides were now drawing off, and for an instant Gerald hesitated. Then, with a shrill cry of challenge, he darted forward and threw himself against the captor. The next moment Gerald and the boy he had rescued were running back toward Dudley. The captor, surprised by the unexpected attack, didn’t think of pursuit until too late.
“Much obliged,” panted the rescued youth, as he and Gerald reached safety.
“That’s all right,” said Gerald carelessly. But secretly he was immensely proud of his exploit. At that moment they stepped into the circle of light thrown by the lantern over the door of Dudley.