John understood well enough that he was some day expected by his uncle to have it out with Tom. He got two other bits of advice on this matter. The rector detained him after school, a few days later. "How goes the swimming, John?" he asked.
The Squire early in the summer had taken this matter in hand, and as Ann Penhallow said, with the West Point methods of kill or cure. John replied to the rector that he was now given leave to swim with the Westways boys. The pool was an old river-channel, now closed above, and making a quiet deep pool such as in England is called a "backwater" and in Canada a "bogan." The only access was through the Penhallow grounds, but this was never denied.
"Does Tom McGregor swim there?" asked Rivers.
"Yes, and the other boys. It is great fun now; it was not at first."
"About Tom, John. I hope you have made friends with him."
Said John, with something of his former grown-up manner, "It appears to me that we never were friends. I regret, sir, that it seems to you desirable."
"But, John, it is. For two Christian lads like you to keep up a quarrel—"
"He's a heathen, sir. I told him yesterday that he ought to apologize to
Leila."
"And what did he say?"
"He said, he guessed I wanted another licking. That's the kind of
Christian he is."