The latter, as may be imagined, were in anything but the humour for an assault of this sort, and their leaders instantly resented it in a _very_ practical manner.
"Where are you coming to ?" demanded Fairbairn, flinging Wibberly from him into the arms of his followers.
Before Wibberly could recover his balance the crowd had closed in by a sudden impulse, and with a loud shout had set upon the crew.
"Have them over, Parrett's!" shouted a voice, as Wibberly staggered back a second time before Fairbairn's stalwart arm, while at the same moment Tucker received a similar rebuff from Crossfield.
The summons was promptly answered, and a dash was made on the five schoolhouse boys with a view to carrying out the threat literally, when Wyndham's voice shouted, "Rescue here! schoolhouse, come on!" Instantly the whole crowd seemed to resolve itself by magic into two parties, and a short but desperate battle ensued.
The fire had been waiting for weeks for a match, and now the flare-up had come.

Nobody knew whom he hit out at or by whom he was attacked that forenoon.

The pent-up irritation of half a term found vent in that famous battle in which the schoolhouse boys fought their way inch by inch up to the door of their house.
Luckily for them, the most formidable of their rivals were not upon the field of action, and in due time the compact phalanx of seniors, aided by Wyndham and his band of recruits, forced their way through superior numbers, and finally burst triumphantly through and gained their stronghold.
But the victory was hardly bought, for the slaughter had been great.
Coates had a black eye, and Porter's jacket was torn from his back.
Riddell had twice been knocked down and trodden on, while Wyndham, Telson, and others of the rescuing party were barely recognisable through dust and bruises.

On the other side the loss had been even greater.

Tucker and Wibberly, the only two monitors engaged, were completely doubled up, while the number of maimed and disabled Limpets and juniors was nearly beyond counting.
So ended the great battle at the school gate, and it ended only just in time, for as the schoolhouse boys finally gained their quarters, and the enemy picked itself up and turned surlily schoolwards, the doctor and his party arrived on the scene and gave a finishing touch to the rout.
That evening was a sore one for Willoughby.