Its little heart beat bravely when it rose to the surface, and, before its young master came up, it had regained the bank.
But, alas! what a change! It went into the stream a fat, round, comfortable ball of eider-down.

It came out--a scraggy blotch of white paint, with its black eyes glaring like two great glass beads! No sooner did it crawl out of the water than Bob Croaker seized it, and whirled it round his head, amid suppressed cries of "Shame!" intending to throw it in again; but at that instant Martin Rattler seized Bob by the collar of his coat with both hands, and, letting himself drop suddenly, dragged the cruel boy to the ground, while the kitten crept humbly away and hid itself in a thick tuft of grass.
A moment sufficed to enable Bob Croaker, who was nearly twice Martin's weight, to free himself from the grasp of his panting antagonist, whom he threw on his back, and doubled his fist, intending to strike Martin on the face; but a general rush of the boys prevented this.
"Shame, shame, fair play!" cried several; "don't hit him when he's down!" "Then let him rise up and come on!" cried Bob, fiercely, as he sprang up and released Martin.
"Ay, that's fair.

Now then, Martin, remember the kitten!" "Strike men of your own size!" cried several of the bigger boys, as they interposed to prevent Martin from rushing into the unequal contest.
"So I will," cried Bob Croaker, glaring round with passion.

"Come on any of you that likes.

I don't care a button for the biggest of you." No one accepted this challenge, for Bob was the oldest and the strongest boy in the school, although, as is usually the case with bullies, by no means the bravest.
Seeing that no one intended to fight with him, and that a crowd of boys strove to hold Martin Rattler back, while they assured him that he had not the smallest chance in the world, Bob turned towards the kitten, which was quietly and busily employed in licking itself dry, and said, "Now, Martin, you coward, I'll give it another swim for your impudence." "Stop, stop!" cried Martin earnestly.