The fall brought Larry no physical hurt, but the laughter of Joe and especially of big Ben, who in his eyes was something of a hero, wounded and humiliated him.

The little smile, however, did not leave his face and he picked himself up and settled his coat about his collar.
"You ain't no good anyway," continued Mop, with the native instinct of the bully to worry his victim.

"You can't play nothin' and you can't lick nobody in the whole school." Both of these charges Larry felt were true.

He was not fond of games and never had he experienced a desire to win fame as a fighter.
"Aw, let him alone, can't you, Mop ?" said big Ben.

"He ain't hurtin' you none." "Hurtin' me," cried Mop, who for some unaccountable reason had worked himself into a rage.