Hold out your hand, you young muff." Aspinall obeyed, and next moment was writhing under the "scrunch" which the president in his humour bestowed upon it.
"Now make a bow," demanded that gentleman when the greeting was over.
Aspinall made obeisance, amid loud derisive cheers, and was called upon to repeat the performance several times.
"Now shake hands again." The boy tried to escape, but his arm was roughly seized, and his hand once more captured in the ruthless grip of his host.
In vain he tried to get free.

The more he struggled the tighter the grip became, till at last he fairly fell on his knees, and howled for pain.
Then Dick, who had gradually been boiling over, could stand it no longer.
"Let his hand go!" he shouted, stepping up to the president, and emphasising his demand with a slight push.
You might have knocked the Den down with a feather! They stared at one another, and then at Dick, and then at one another again, until their eyes ached.
Then Culver, utterly oblivious of his tight sleeves, or his dignified position, turned red in the face and said-- "What do you mean ?" "What I say," said Dick, a trifle pale, and breathing hard.
"Will you fight ?" said Culver.
"Yes," said Dick, in a dream, for his head was swimming round, and he forgot where he was, and what the row was about.
"You mean it ?" once more asked the president.
"Yes, I do," again retorted Dick.
"Very well," said Culver.
Instantly there was a stampede of the Den, and cries of "a fight!" shook the halls and passages of Templeton.
The Sixth heard it in their lofty regions, whither they had retired after the fatigue of levee.
"Pity to stop it," said Birket, who reported the state of the matter to the seniors.

"It'll do good." "Who's the better man ?" asked Cresswell.
"Culver, I fancy." "Humph!" said the captain, "you'd better be there to see fair play, Birket; and Cresswell will come down and stop it in ten minutes.

Eh, Cress ?" "All serene," said Cresswell..