The chap who wrote it ought to be kicked round the field." "My eye," cried Grundy, "listen to what's talking! Kicked round the field, indeed! Why, I think it's jolly good: it serves Allingford and those other fellows just right for turning Thurston out of the team." "What a lie!" retorted Jack.

"You know very well they didn't turn him out; he went out of his own accord." "Here, don't give me any of your cheek," said Grundy, sidling up to his antagonist in a threatening manner; "you mean to say I'm a liar, eh ?" The advent of three Fifth Form boys--one of whom took Grundy by the shoulders and pushed him away, with the command to "Get out and lie on the mat"-- put an end, for the time being, to the altercation.

The crowd increased: boys of all ages stopped to read the verses; some few laughed, and pronounced them jolly good; but to do them justice, the greater number of Ronleians were too jealous of the honour of their school to see much fun in this attempt to lampoon their football representatives.

Just as the bell was ringing for assembly, the paper was torn down by Trail, the head of the Remove, who ripped it up into fifty pieces, and in answer to Gull's inquiry what he did that for, replied, "I'll jolly soon show you!" in such a menacing tone that the questioner saw fit to turn on his heel and walk away with an alacrity of movement not altogether due to any particular eagerness to commence work.
The Lower Fourth were straggling down the passage on the way to their classroom, when they heard a scuffle and the clatter of falling books.
Grundy had seized Jack Vance by the collar from behind, and was screwing his knuckle into his victim's neck.
"Yes; you called me a liar, didn't you ?" "So you are! Let go my coat!" "Oh, so you stick to it, do you?
I'll--" The sentence was interrupted by Jack giving a sudden twist and striking his antagonist a heavy blow in the chest, which sent him staggering against the opposite wall.

Grundy was nearly a head taller than Vance; but the latter's blood was up, and in another moment the dogs of war would have assuredly broken loose had not the flutter of a gown at the end of the passage announced the advent of Mr.Greyling.
The class had finished translating from their Latin author, and had just commenced writing an exercise, when a note was passed over to Jack Vance from the desk behind; it was short and to the point:-- "Will you fight me after twelve at the back of the pavilion ?-- H.GRUNDY." Jack read the challenge, turned round and nodded, and then went calmly on with his work as though nothing had happened.
This cool way of treating the matter did not altogether please Grundy, who had rather expected that his adversary would elect to "take a licking." He had, however, every reason to count upon an easy victory, and so promptly despatched another note, which contained the words: "Very well.