I'll smash you." Later on a third epistle was handed over: "Don't tell any one, or there'll be too much of a crowd." It was not until the interval that the two other members of the Triple Alliance were informed of the coming conflict.
"You don't really mean you're going to fight him ?" said Mugford.
"Of course I am." "You'll get licked!" added Diggory, with a sigh.
"I don't care if I am.

If I land him one or two, he won't be in a hurry to lick me again.

Don't you remember what you said ages ago at The Birches, Diggy, when you went down that slide on skates?
Well, it's the same thing with me now.

I'm going to show him, once and for all, that he's not going to ride rough-shod over me for nothing." During the last hour of school, which happened to be devoted to algebra, the only member of the Triple Alliance who seemed able to work was Jack Vance.

Diggory made a hash of nearly every sum, while Mugford simply collapsed, and could not even remember that like signs made _plus_, and unlike _minus_.
"I say, Diggy," whispered the latter, "don't you think Grundy'll lick him ?" "I don't know," returned the other, with a desperate attempt to be cheerful; "you never know what may happen.