“Mark the velvet-capped chap. Town, town!” shouted the hinder part of the mob, but it was a rabble of boys as before, and the front rank took very good care of itself, and forbore from close quarters.
The small gownsman had now got his wind again; and smarting under the ignominy of his recent flight, was always a pace or two nearer the crowd than the other three, ruffling up like a little bantam, and shouting defiance between the catchings of his breath.
“You vagabonds! you cowards! Come on now I say! Gown, gown!” And at last, emboldened by the repeated halts of the mob, and thirsting for revenge, he made a dash at one of the nearest of the enemy. The suddenness of the attack took both sides by surprise, then came a rush by two or three of the town to the rescue.
“No, no! stand back—one at a time,” shouted the Captain, throwing himself between the combatants and the mob. “Go it, little 'un; serve him out. Keep the rest back boys; steady!” Tom and Drysdale faced towards the crowd, while a little gownsman and his antagonist—who defended himself vigorously enough now—came to close quarters, in the rear of the gown line; too close to hurt one another but what with hugging and cuffing the townsman in another half-minute was sitting quietly on the pavement with his back against the wall, his enemy squaring in front of him, and daring him to renew the combat. “Get up, you coward; get up, I say, you coward! He won't get up,” said the little man, eagerly turning to the Captain. “Shall I give him a kick?”
“No, let the cur alone,” replied Jervis. “Now, do any more of you want to fight? Come on like men one at a time. I'll fight any man in the crowd.”
Whether the challenge would have been answered must rest uncertain; for now the crowd began to look back, and a cry arose, “Here they are, proctors! now they'll run.”
“So we must, by Jove, Brown,” said the Captain. “What's your college?” to the little hero.
“Pembroke.”
“Cut away, then; you're close at home.”
“Very well, if I must; good night,” and away went the small man as fast as he had come; and it has never been heard that he came to further grief, or performed other feats that night.